


Missing the Mark

by juniperwillows



Series: west side, east side [2]
Category: EXO (Band), GOT7, NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gang World, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Brotherhood, Cryokinesis, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Ft. the Dreamies roasting Mark, Gen, Kidnapping, Mark Lee (NCT)-centric, Misunderstandings, Protective Lee Taeyong, Street kids AU, Technokinesis, Teleportation, fire manipulation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:06:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 20,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24725740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/juniperwillows/pseuds/juniperwillows
Summary: Maybe Mark shouldn’t have been naive enough to believe that when Taeyong said he could walk away, he'd really meant it.It’s been a year and Mark can almost pretend he doesn’t miss his old gang when he’s surrounded by his new family- six kids off the street that call themselves the Dreamies.But newfound powers bring new enemies.Old ties never really die… and maybe, just maybe, that’s a good thing.
Series: west side, east side [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1884892
Comments: 28
Kudos: 262





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This work is a prelude to 'west side, east side (it doesn't matter anymore),' taking place in the same universe and about a year earlier, but both stories can stand alone.

" _.... party in the city where the heat is on... all night, on the beach, till the break of dawn..."_

"Would you like your receipt?"

Mark blinked at the cashier, his mumbling dying off. The woman was eyeing him, distinctly unimpressed.

"Do you want your receipt?" She repeated, holding up the paper in question.

The question finally registered and he felt his face flush. "Oh, uh, yeah." 

Ducking his head, he gathered up the grocery bags as she started scanning the next person's items, trying to remember which one the eggs were in. The others would tease him for weeks if he broke _another_ carton on the five short blocks home _(It wasn't Mark's fault the squirrels in this city seemed to love getting underfoot at the worst possible moments)_. 

Stepping out of the store left him blinking the sunlight, the humidity washing over him. 

" _....party in the city where the heat is on... all night, on the beach, till the break of dawn..."_ He muttered, swinging the groceries back and forth lightly as he turned the corner into a back street. 

_"hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmmm, welcome to Miami."_

Mark's footsteps slowed as he caught sight of a figure at the end of the small back street, leaned up against the dirty brick wall. He kept walking, carefully keeping his gaze pointed away, clearly _not paying attention to anyone's business but his own, see?_

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the figure push off the wall, head turned in Mark's direction. Mark picked up speed slightly. 

"Mark."

Mark stumbled to a halt and stared, recognition finally sinking in.

_Johnny. Shit._

His heart began to pound, but he didn't hesitate, spinning on one heel and striding back for the main street.

Before he could make it two steps, Yuta and Kun melted out of the shadows, blocking his route. He twisted around to see that Johnny was now blocking the route behind him, Jungwoo at his side. They'd been _waiting_ , waiting for Mark. _Four against one._ He was outnumbered.

Mark tightened his grip on his grocery bags.

“What do you want?” he ground out.

Johnny gave a bit of an apologetic shrug. “Taeyong wants to talk to you.”

Mark felt himself stiffen at the name. 

“Where is he then?” he said sharply. 

“Hello, Mark.”

He barely managed not to flinch at the voice behind him, turning slowly. The leader was standing there, hands loose at his sides, looking far too casual considering that Mark hadn't seen him in nearly a year. At a wave of the man's hand, Yuta and Kun backed off a few paces, their eyes carefully fixed on the two of them. It didn't comfort Mark; he knew they'd be able to intervene in a moment if they had to.

“Taeyong.” Mark returned, his voice frustratingly weaker than he intended. 

“How have you and Donghyuck been?” Taeyong asked, taking a few steps closer. The question actually sounded genuine and Mark hated how off balance that made him feel.

“We're fine.” he said tightly.

The grocery bags crinkled as he shifted his weight back and forth, and Taeyong glanced at them, and then back at Mark. He raised an eyebrow and Mark tried not to flush. _He'd never quite trained himself out of all his nervous ticks._

There was a long pause. 

Mark, despite himself, shifted again. “Is there something…” he ventured.

When the leader just studied him, an indecipherable expression on his face, Mark felt the beginnings of apprehension stir in his gut.

"Well, I'll just be going then." he mumbled, when the elder didn't speak up, hunching his shoulders and trying to move past.

Taeyong stepped into his path, one careful hand held out.

“We need to talk, Mark.” the leader said quietly. “If you could just come back to HQ...”

Panic flooded Mark's veins. “You said I could walk away, Taeyong.” he snapped. 

_He couldn’t go back- he couldn’t._

“I know, I know." Taeyong said, placatingly. "And I let you walk away Mark; we haven’t been involved.”

“Don’t lie to my face.” Mark managed to bite out. “You think I haven’t noticed Xiaojun and Jungwoo following me?”

Taeyong's face twisted with something close to regret. 

“We were concerned, Mark.” 

“Well, _don’t be._ ” Mark snapped. “I’m fine, just leave me alone.”

His fingers were starting to tingle lightly in response to his thudding heart. 

“Mark-” 

“I’m going now.” Mark ground out, stepping around him. Taeyong sighed but didn't move to stop him. And after a moment Mark understood why. 

Kun was blocking his path, something apologetic in his eyes. 

Mark spun around, panic thudding in his chest.

“So you’re going to drag me back?” he said, hating the way his voice shook. 

His eyes landed on Johnny, feeling somehow betrayed. The man's brow was pinched, but there was determination in his eyes.

“We don’t have to do it this way, Mark." Johnny told him. "Come with us, we just need to talk, there's been a misunderstanding-"

"There’s nothing to talk about!” Mark yelled, spinning away from him, searching desperately for an escape. But Kun was advancing now, and Johnny and Jungwoo were inching closer from the back. The circle was closing and Mark was outnumbered and he could _barely breathe_. And worst of all, Taeyong was watching him from a few feet away, just standing there, something like pity in his eyes. 

“Mark, if you’d just _listen_ -” Yuta snapped.

“You _promised-”_ Mark shouted, and the ball of fear and anxiety in his chest seemed to explode outward, his hands tingling.

A car halfway down the block _exploded._

 _“Get down!”_ Taeyong yelled as debris started to rain down.

There was a sharp hum and the fragments of metal clattered against a force shield, sparking upon impact. Yuta’s face was strained with effort, hands held high as he fought to maintain it.

Someone was tugging him backwards, but Mark’s eyes were fixed on the car, eyes wide. Car alarms were blaring somewhere past the ringing of his ears, and people were stepping out into the sidewalks, drawn by the commotion and the billowing smoke.

At some point, Taeyong had shifted himself between the flaming car and Mark and Johnny, speaking rapidly into his comms. 

"Get to cover." he ordered, not even glancing at them, eyes roving the rooftops for an attacker.

Johnny tugged him harder and finally Mark turned and stumbled along with him.

“Do we have eyes on them?” Johnny snapped into his own comms, pulling Mark down behind a car, peering over the hood for a moment at the chaos. Mark let himself be dragged along, brain still struggling to catch up. 

The vehicle they were pressed up against suddenly sparked, the engine rumbling to life. Johnny cursed, dragging Mark backwards. When the car sparked again, the elder tugged him into a run, ducking around the street corner. 

Mark stumbled over a crack in the sidewalk, nearly falling on his face, but Johnny just hauled him upright and kept running. Finally the man must have deemed them far enough away, slowing to a halt. Mark leaned over his knees, gasping, trying to catch his breath.

Beside him, the elder kept a careful eye on their surroundings, tapping his comm. "Taeyong, we're away from the scene, about three blocks-"

Headlights flashed on, and an empty motorcycle kicked into gear, lurching a few short feet before gravity got the better of it and it tipped into its side, wheels spinning uselessly. 

_"Shit!"_ Johnny hissed, pulling Mark quickly backwards and into an alleyway. 

Mark steadied himself against the brick wall, trying to clear his head. _The car... the car had exploded, and they all seemed to think they were under attack, and oh... oh, shit._

“We're being targeted.” Johnny stated darkly, peering around the corner. "Someone with a tech power, probably." 

He tapped his comm. "Is anyone there? Mark and I need backup ASAP."

Mark watched, a pit growing in his stomach, as the man fiddled with his earpiece for a moment and cursed. “It's shorted out.” 

He dug in his coat pocket for a minute, still watching the street.

_They didn't... they didn't realize..._

“Take this. Call Yuta, tell him we’re being targeted-”

Johnny held something out and Mark, on autopilot, reached out to take it before he could register what it was. As soon as his hand got close to what turned out to be a cell phone, the device sparked, the screen glitching wildly. Johnny let out a yell, dropping it and clutching at his hand.

The elder looked from the destroyed phone to Mark, who had snatched his own hand back, taking in the way the younger boy was shaking, sweat beading across his forehead.

“Wait...” Johnny said slowly, brow furrowing. 

Mark took a step away, back into the sidewalk, and then another. 

When he got too close, the empty car closest to him roared to life, revving its engine and Mark's head jerked over to it. 

_Shit, shit, Mark was out of control, he needed to calm down and breathe- but how was he supposed to calm down when Johnny was gaping at him like that, gaping like he knew-_

“Mark,” His old friend stammered, “Since when-”

The light pole about them whined, and the bulb exploded, raining glass down.

On instinct, Mark threw up his hands to cover his head, vaguely aware of Johnny doing the same. For a several seconds, it was silent save for the jingling of the settling glass on the pavement and Mark's quick, panicked breaths.

After a long moment, Johnny uncurled, glass shards slipping out of his hair and off his shoulders, clinking softly into the sidewalk. There was a thin cut across his neck, seeping a line of blood into his collar. _Mark had done that._

"I'm- I'm sorry- I didn't mean to-" the boy stammered, taking a step back. 

_Mark had done that, and he had almost injured them all, lost control, practically attacked them and-_

“Mark. It's okay." Johnny said. He touched his cheek with one hand and winced, but kept his eyes fixed on the younger boy. "Just- you need to calm down."

“I can’t- I can't- didn’t _mean_ to-” the younger man gasped helplessly, unable to look away from the wound.

Johnny took a step forward, watching him almost warily in way he never had before. It made Mark feel sick.

“Mark-”

He stumbled back and _ran._

* * *

Mark wasn’t sure exactly how he made it home. He was in some sort of daze most of the way, stumbling on adrenaline and fear. But suddenly, their apartment building was looming up in front of him, and he was typing in the code and stumbling inside. He sat down hard in the stairwell, finally free of the feeling of being _watched- chased_ and tried to recover his breathing.

 _NCT wanted to drag him back there._ Why they’d chosen _now_ , after a whole year of leaving Mark alone, letting him go his own way- he had no idea. 

Mark buried his head in his hands, breathing as slowly as he could.

 _Had they... had they found out? Had Jaehyun... remembered?_ He squeezed his eyes tightly shut, tugging at his hair. _Surely Jaehyun would have been there to confront him if he had... right?_

The whole encounter had gotten out of hand so quickly. Mark hadn’t meant for the explosion to happen, for _any_ of it to happen. His powers were still so new, barely three months old. He hadn't even known he could _do that,_ usually he just broke the microwave or something equally mundane. But when emotions were high, his control was even worse. _He'd could have seriously injured all of them if it wasn't for Yuta. But Johnny, he_ had _hurt Johnny._

Mark's eyes flew open, his stomach sinking suddenly. _Johnny knew about Mark’s powers now._ And if Johnny knew, then Taeyong would know. _Shit._ That would only make the leader more determined to bring Mark in. 

Suddenly even sitting in the stairwell felt too exposed. Mark shoved himself to his feet, gathering up the single grocery bag that he had miraculously held onto in the chaos _(RIP to the one he’d lost with Chenle’s fruit snacks in it and... the eggs)._ He trudged up the four flights to their floor and was barely halfway down the hall when a door opened.

“Lee. You’re the one in 409, aren’t you?” A voice snapped. 

Mark nearly jumped out of his skin, turning to find their landlord glaring at him from down the hall. He nodded hesitantly, a bit of relief that it wasn’t the cops or NCT or something. That relief evaporated as soon as he heard the woman’s next words. 

“This is your last warning. I’m kicking you damn kids out if I don’t have the rent by tomorrow.”

Dismay shot through him and he nearly dropped the last grocery bag. “Mrs. Choi, please, we just need a few more days-”

“I don’t want to hear it; you’re _weeks_ overdue. Get it to me tomorrow or you’re out.” She was already turning away, the stairwell door slamming shut behind her. 

Mark sagged against the wall of the hallway, trying not to panic.

_Shit, he’d have to go out tonight. So much for staying low._

Only when he thought he looked calm enough did he dig through his pocket for his key and walk the last few paces to their door.

It was a studio apartment, with just one room, a tiny kitchen, and an equally small bathroom. It wasn't ideal for seven growing teenagers, but it was what they could afford, and a whole lot better than sleeping on the streets. 

“Mark’s home!” Chenle's voice sang out as the elder slid off his shoes. Mark glanced over, finding the others scattered over the floor, in the middle of a card game.

“Finally, we can eat.” Donghyuck griped, standing. "Renjun won't admit he should have folded three rounds ago."

The boy in question stuck out a foot and managed to trip him, leaving the others cackling.

Donghyuck recovered before he could face-plant into the wall. He slowly turned around, glaring, and the room went quiet. Then he lunged forward and Renjun scrambled to his feet, darting away.

"At least I'm not counting cards like Chenle!" he sang.

Chenle's high-pitched laughter abruptly cut off and he shot the older boy a betrayed look.

Feigning to the left and then darting to the right, Donghyuck almost managed to snag Renjun's sleeve, but the boy put on a burst of speed. 

“Mark, help me-” Renjun cried, flinging himself in Mark's direction. He stumbled to a stop, the grin sliding off his face as he got a good look at the eldest. Donghyuck followed his gaze and slowed before he could slam into Renjun's back, their chase immediately forgotten.

“What happened?” he snapped, his eyes flashing. That caught the others attention and soon they were all gathered around, gaping at him.

Mark reached up to prod at the cut on his cheek, and winced. “Had a run in with NCT.”

Renjun hurried forward to take the grocery bag from him. Mark had to pry his fingers off it, his hand stiff from holding it so tightly. He flexed the digits, trying to get feeling back. 

"I'll get the first aid kit." Jeno said, turning away to root through the cabinets.

“NCT? They came after you?” Jaemin's eyes were wide. "Why would they do that? I thought... I thought they let you leave."

Mark wrapped his arms around himself, managing a jerky shrug. “They wanted me to go back to headquarters with them. Something about talking _._ ” 

Donghyuck cursed and moved quickly to double check the lock on the door and pull the blinds on the windows closed.

"Were you followed?" Chenle asked, tone uncharacteristically urgent.

“I… I don’t think so.”

Jisung was still frozen a few steps away, hands clutched around the playing cards, looking like a deer in the headlights. It snapped Mark out of a bit of his own shock, and he forced himself to relax his posture. 

"I'm okay, really." Mark said, trying his best youngest a reassuring smile. It must not have been very convincing, because Jisung's brow only creased further, as if to say _oh really?_ Mark couldn't hold his gaze, looking away and letting the expression drop. _He'd never been a very good liar._

“Who was it?” Donghyuck demanded as he returned to Mark's side, his expression stormy.

Mark shook his head tiredly. "It doesn't matter." 

"It really does." Donghyuck said, voice low. "Just tell me."

The eldest hesitated. He knew it would just make the younger boy angrier at their former members, but... at the same time, they'd just _stood_ there, backing up Taeyong as he broke his promise. _The people who'd once been his closest friends- his brothers._

"Tell me." 

"Johnny, Yuta, Kun, and Jungwoo." Mark mumbled, giving in.

He was validated by the look of betrayal on Donghyuck's face. It was clear he'd put two and two together. "They sent the ones with the best chance of getting through to you... or taking you by force if that failed."

"Also... Taeyong was there." Mark admitted. 

A flash of worry flitted across Donghyuck's face before he could mask it. "Taeyong came himself?" 

Mark gave a jerky nod and Donghyuck exhaled, scuffing a hand though his hair.

"Shit. They're really determined, then."

Chenle was pushing forward in a moment, clutching at Mark's arm. His face was creased with distress. “They can’t have you back!”

“Of course they can't.” Renjun scoffed, though there was a bit of hesitation in his voice. “We won’t let them.”

Finally having located the elusive first aid kit, Jeno waved them all off so he could lead Mark to their single chair and look over his injuries.

“Are you hurt anywhere else?”

Mark shook his head, wincing lightly as Jeno dabbed at a cut on his hand. He didn't even remember getting most of them, hadn't even noticed until Jeno pointed them out.

"You're really lucky none of these have glass in them." Jeno said, making a face he pulled a small shard of glass out of Mark's collar. Giving a short shrug in response, Mark briefly wondered if Johnny had been as lucky, or if he was sitting somewhere at HQ right now while Taeil picked shards of glass out of his arms. 

He tried to pretend he couldn't see the others sneaking concerned glances at him past their cards. 

"All done." Jeno finally announced, stepping back. "Maybe try not to get into another fight with NCT anytime soon. We're almost out of antiseptic because of you."

Mark managed a nod, having known Jeno long enough to hear the concern behind the seemingly harsh words. He stood and took a step, only to waver, spots dancing in his vision.

Jaemin was at his side almost instantly, holding him up. “Did you have to use your powers to get away?”

Mark just hummed, suddenly hit by a wave of exhaustion. Jaemin seemed to sense didn’t have the strength to explain the whole thing now. The younger boy helped him over to his sleeping bag on the floor and forced him to eat a granola bar before he let him lay down.

His eyes were about to slip closed when he remembered that they might not have a home tomorrow. 

He tilted his head at Donghyuck and the boy got the message, making his way over to crouch next to Mark. 

“Wake me up when it gets dark.”

Donghyuck’s face twisted. “You’re going out?”

Mark glanced to the others, who were bickering lightly, and dropped his voice. “Mrs. Choi is gonna kick us out if I don’t have the rent money tomorrow. I’ll hit an ATM. Quick and easy.”

“Quick and easy.” Donghyuck repeated, doubtful.

Mark drifted for a bit, the interaction from the afternoon playing over and over behind his eyelids while he listened to Jisung roast Renjun’s ability to burn instant ramen. 

At some point, a head settled into his shoulder and he didn’t have to open his eyes to know it was Chenle’s hair tickling his nose.

“You won’t leave us, right?” the boy whispered, almost too quiet to be heard. 

Mark, nearly asleep, managed to muster enough energy to squeeze the boy’s hand and murmur. “Of course not.” 

A soft, relieved sigh and the weight settled more evenly on Mark’s shoulder. 

He drifted off. 

* * *

It hadn’t begun to get cold yet, still in the clutches of the July humidity even at night, and Mark found himself wiping a bead of sweat from his temple. 

He took a deep breath, double checking the knot on his bandana and tugging his hood a little lower before he stepped out of the alleyway.

It had taken a lot of convincing to persuade Donghyuck not to come with him, given that NCT was clearly after him. But Mark had won the argument by pointing out that NCT probably wanted _both_ of them back, and the two of them made an even bigger target than one. And if they _both_ got captured, then neither of them would be around to look after the other Dreamies.

But now, loitering in the shadows waiting for a group of teenagers to disappear around the corner, Mark kinda wished that Donghyuck had insisted on coming with him anyway. Every piece of darkness seemed threatening, and every footstep sounded like someone sneaking up behind him. Mark just wanted to get the money and get home to safety. _Hopefully there'd be some non-burnt instant ramen left over for him._

Finally the street was silent, empty. He slipped out of the shadows, making his way in casual, measured steps to the side of the bank, ready at any moment to abandon the plan and just keep walking. 

But no one appeared, and the intersection was still free of cars. 

Marl jerked to a stop next to the ATM, looking around once more just in case, his heart thumping in his chest. And then he reached out and placed his hand on the machine. He squeezed his eyes shut and concentrated. 

After a long moment, there was a click, and the machine began to whirl. The screen flickered to grey...

And then twenties began to drop into his hand. 

_Two, four, six, eight, ten._

Another click and the machine stopped, blinking back to its home page like nothing had happened. 

_Two hundred._ Enough to keep them going for a while, but not a large enough amount for the crime to be flagged as high priority by the police. The cops in this city had bigger things to worry about. 

He shoved the money into his pocket, barely daring to breathe as he walked quickly away from the ATM and ducked back into the alleyway. Then, hidden by the darkness and the knowledge that there were no cameras here, he let his shoulders slump again, breathing a sigh of relief.

“What a neat trick.” 

Mark froze. There was a man perched casually on the hood of a car. It was an expensive one, all smooth lines and shiny finishes, far too expensive to be parking in an alley in this part of town, and most importantly, it hadn't been there five minutes ago. The stranger wasn’t even looking at Mark, instead examining one of his leather gloves. _It wasn’t even cold enough to be wearing gloves._

“Mark Lee, isn’t it?” 

Mark went cold. He took a quick step back, ready to run, but then the man looked up, sharp eyes locking him in place.

“I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Chanyeol.” 

It was then that the man stood and with a sinking heart, Mark finally took in his black outfit, the silver hexagonal insignia on his shoulder.

Anyone with powers knew how to recognize the members of one of the most feared gangs in the city. The one to avoid at all costs. 

_EXO._

Mark's heart began to thud loudly in his chest.

“How would you like to help me out on a little job?” Chanyeol drawled, tilting his head as he looked Mark over.

The younger boy began to inch his way backwards, keeping his eyes fixed on the man. 

“A job?” he asked shakily, trying to buy some time while his mind scrambled for an exit.

“Yes. It could really use your talents. Engineers in this city have gotten much too smart.”

The man strode slowly forward, and Mark’s backwards steps grew wider as he picked up his pace, trying to keep the distance between them.

“So, what do you say?” Chanyeol asked.

“I’m not interested?” Mark blurted out, before he could stop his stupid mouth. He winced and tensed, fully expecting the man to explode in anger. 

To his surprise, Chanyeol tilted back his head and laughed. 

It was so eerie that Mark forgot to flee.

The man finally glanced back to him, still chuckling. “This one has guts, Xiumin. He’ll do well with us.”

Mark's skin prickled, spine going stiff as he eyed the shadows of the alley. _Who was he talking to? Mark couldn’t see anyone._ His backward steps picked up even quicker. _Could he make it around the corner if he sprinted? There was a convenience store a block away... if he could make it there then maybe-_

“The thing is Mark…” Chanyeol shrugged, bringing the boy's attention back to him. “I wasn’t really asking.”

Mark's fingertips were starting to tingle and he clenched his fists, ready to fight, but before he could take another step, Chanyeol spoke up.

“Anytime now, Kai.”

There was a strange sound and even though Mark didn’t blink, there was suddenly someone standing beside him. A hand grasped his arm and something cold and heavy wrapped around his wrist even as he tried to shove himself away.

Throbbing pain radiated out from his arm, and he gasped, knees giving way. 

Mark was vaguely aware of rough pavement against his cheek, numbness in his limbs, and being hoisted into the air, and then… darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is the title a bad pun? Yes, yes it is.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for mild violence.

“Hey, kid, wake up.” 

Something nudged his arm. Mark managed to pry his sticky eyes open, blinking in the light. 

The ceiling above him was unfamiliar and he had to stare at it for several long moments before the implication behind that observation finally sank in. He shoved himself into a sitting position, almost tipping over as the world tilted dizzily. 

_What...?_

He was in a bare, unfurnished room, the hardwood floor chilly underneath him. There was a single doorway, in which an unfamiliar man with blonde hair and an angular face was leaned, watching him. Mark's eyes strayed to the man's sleeve, the hexagonal logo there.

His breath stuttered in his chest as everything rushed back to him. The EXO member straightened as Mark shoved to his feet, eyeing him carefully. 

“Where am I?” Mark snapped. 

The man seemed to study him for a moment. “At one of our safe houses.”

"Why am I-"

There was a jingle as Mark moved his arm and he jerked his hand up to find a thick bracelet with a square, metal attachment, fastened to his wrist. It was _blinking._

_What the hell?_

Mark tried to tug it off, but it was too tight. He couldn't even fit his fingers under the band. He yanked at the metal attachment instead, heart beginning to thud in his chest. _It wouldn't come off-why wouldn't it come off-_

“Don’t touch that-” the man said sharply, eyes going wide.

There was a sudden hum and a shock jolted through him. Mark let go with a yelp, blinking away stars. His whole arm _ached._

“What is this?” he stammered, turning his gaze to the man.

"It's an inhibitor. Keeps you from using your powers. It's programmed to send out shocks if it's being tampered with."

Mark stared down at the bracelet in dismay. "What... why-"

“Chanyeol wants to see you.” the man said abruptly, turning for the door. “He’ll explain everything.”

It took a long moment for Mark's legs to follow, carrying him out into a short hallway and then into a wider room. They were in a sparsely decorated apartment with unpainted, empty walls, not unlike the series of safe houses that NCT had across the city. 

Nothing felt particularly _safe_ about this one, though.

There were two men in the now familiar EXO regalia leaned over a series of diagrams and blueprints on a small kitchen table. A heavy ball of dread began to form in his gut as Mark recognized the one from the alley last night. 

“Good morning, Mark.” Chanyeol called as the boy hesitantly inched into the room. “I should probably introduce you to the team.”

He clapped a hand on the shoulder of the reddish-brown haired man next to him at the table. “This is Xiumin. His power is cryokinesis.”

Xiumin eyed Mark for a moment, dark brows tilting downward, before turning his gaze back to the blueprints. 

Chanyeol nodded his head at the one who’d brought Mark. “And that's Kai, our teleport."

The man gave a short nod, and Mark found himself jerkily copying the motion.

"Our teammate Lay will be joining us later, as well." Chanyeol said

Mark recognized the code names from NCT’s passing discussions of EXO's movements, which had mostly been warnings to Mark to stay out of their path. He desperately wished he’d paid more attention to the details about the group then. 

“Why am I here?” Mark managed to say.

Chanyeol sighed, leaning back against the table. “We’ve got a little job that requires your help.”

“I’m not helping you.”

Mark's own boldness surprised even himself, but he _knew_ the things EXO had their hands in. He didn't want any part of it. 

Kai’s eyes flickered to Chanyeol, but the man didn’t seem particularly upset. 

He instead shrugged, leaning up against the edge of the table. 

“Are you sure that’s your final decision? It’d be an awful shame for me to have to send someone over to that little apartment of yours.”

Mark’s mouth went dry.

“What is it you call yourselves?" Chanyeol tapped his fingers on the table, pretending to think. "The Dreamies? Funny... how easily dreams can be cut short.”

He snapped his finger and a plume of flame billowed towards the ceiling. 

Mark couldn't help but stumble backwards, heart pounding. He felt suddenly sick, palms sweaty.

And this time when Chanyeol smiled it was something dangerous. 

“So what do you say Mark? Willing to help us out?”

Mark had never really understood what it was like to be Taeyong until he’d met the Dreamies and had six people younger than him to look after.

He’d felt horribly underprepared, most of the time, and so desperately out of his depth. But he had finally understood that protective glint that came into Taeyong’s eyes when one of his own was in danger, the way he’d risk it all, risk _himself,_ to keep his them safe. 

The Dreamies? They were _Mark’s._ And he’d do anything to protect them.

He took in a deep breath, and let it out slowly, forcing his fists to unclench. “What do you need my help with?”

* * *

It was for a robbery, Mark was told. They didn’t clarify what they were stealing, and Mark didn’t find that he particularly wanted to know. Usually EXO wouldn’t have need for outside help, but the security in this particular building was particularly high. The goods, whatever they were, were secured in a safe protected by an electronically locking door that if tampered with by force, or shorted out, would send an immediate silent alert out to the police. 

That was something Chanyeol wanted to avoid. 

“We need time to move the stock out. It’ll take half an hour at the minimum and I don’t want to leave a single crate behind. We need to get in there without suspicion and get back out without leaving a trace.”

Mark wasn’t sure why Chanyeol was so hung up on anonymity, but he wasn't about to ask. EXO was in the news all the time. They didn’t seem to care about the authorities knowing their crimes. The police usually couldn’t stop them anyway, everyone knew that. They were far too powerful, and too good at vanishing into the shadows. 

Chanyeol turned his gaze to Mark and the boy couldn’t help but shrink back a bit. 

“Will you be able to wipe the security cameras remotely?”

_Would he be angry if Mark said no? He could always lie… hope the cameras saved enough evidence for the police... but then Mark would be on camera too, aiding and abetting. He'd be wanted..._

The struggle must have shown on his face because Chanyeol flicked his wrist and a ball of flame formed in his hand. He twisted his fingers, watching the fire lick upwards as it twirled around the digits.

“Crazy how easily an apartment building from the 1970s can burn. Isn’t even up to fire code.”

Mark swallowed, his mind involuntarily flickering to the fire detector in their kitchen ceiling that didn't work, the rusty escape ready to collapse. Chanyeol snapped and the fire went out.

 _Shit,_ he hoped that the Dreamies _had_ gotten kicked out and were halfway across the city by now, where EXO didn’t have any leads on them. But… he didn’t doubt if EXO was really trying, they _easily_ be able to track them down. NCT had been able to find Mark simply enough, and corner him in that alleyway. And EXO had most of the underground on their side. 

“So… can you?”

Mark hesitated but shook his head. “No.”

Chanyeol raised an eyebrow. “No?” 

“I really can’t.” Mark said quickly, suddenly afraid that the man wouldn’t believe him. “It’s not how my power works.”

“But your power is technokinesis, isn’t it?” Xiumin spoke up, frowning at him over the maps.

Mark gave a jerky shrug. “I can’t interface with specific computer data like that.”

“I could… short the cameras themselves out," he hurried to add. "And make them stop working before we go in. But I can’t wipe the data from a computer.”

Chanyeol studied him for a long, silent moment, as if trying to decide if he was being honest. Finally, he shook his head, relaxing back in his chair. Mark slowly let out the breath he'd been holding. 

“There’s no need. Xiumin can wipe the computer from inside.”

He looked at Mark over again, something calculating in his gaze. “It could be helpful however, to know the scope of your powers.”

 _Mark didn’t have a good feeling about that_. Chanyeol tilted his head and waved a hand at the chair across from him. 

Mark glanced at Kai first, whose widened eyes seemed mainly to say _why are you looking at me? G_ _o!_ He crossed the room and took a seat, gingerly. 

“How long have you had your powers?” Chanyeol asked, leaning on one armrest casually like they were old friends discussing the weather.

Mark didn’t particularly want to tell him, but the longer the silence grew, the more annoyance seemed to build behind the man’s eyes. 

“The Dreamies-” 

“Three months.” Mark blurted out. 

The activity in the room went still.

“Three… months?” Xiumin scoffed. “Don’t lie.”

“I’m not lying.” Mark threw a panicked glance at Chanyeol. “I’m _not_.”

Xiumin moved away from the table, abandoning his maps for the first time all day. He stared at Mark. 

"Just three months?"

Mark nodded, gaze flicking around the three of them, who were all scrutinizing him.

“Three months. Three months and he blew up a car.” Xiumin said, twisting to look at Kai.

The teleport was silent, shifting his weight slightly. 

“Imagine what he could do in a _year._ ” Chanyeol breathed, leaning forward in his chair. “With proper training and opportunity…” he stared for a long time, so long that Mark felt his skin start to prickle. “Mark Lee, you have the potential to become one of the most powerful users in the _city_.” 

Xiumin huffed. “Looks like Suho might end up meeting him after all.” 

Mark was too scared to ask for clarification but when he stuck a glance at Kai the man looked… uncomfortable. 

“Now…" Chanyeol sat back, snagging a pad of paper off the side table. "Tell me what you can do with your powers so far. Let’s start with the cars, have you controlled them before?”

The man spent the next hour grilling Mark on every use of his powers he could think of, and even made him test out several things, like controlling the lights, the oven, even trying to hack a computer. Mark didn't want to share any of this, didn’t want the man to know so much about his powers. But every time he’d hesitate, Chanyeol would make a sly comment about the Dreamies and he’d spill more. 

“Chanyeol.” Kai’s voice broke through Mark's attempts to shut the power for the whole building off. “The doors are going take a lot of energy. We don’t want to over-tax his powers before then.”

Chanyeol waved a hand, jotting another note down. "He'll be fine. There will be plenty of time for him to get his energy back."

Kai hesitated, took a step forward. “But his are still pretty new. We shouldn't risk it. Anyway... we’ll have plenty of time to figure out his powers later.”

_Mark didn’t want to think about what that meant._

Chanyeol huffed, but acquiesced. He checked his watch. “I’ve got some things to attend to anyway. Xiumin, you with me?”

Mark let the hand he'd had on the wall, trying to connect to the electric grid, drop. He stepped away and a wave of dizziness crashed over him. _He'd overstrained his powers again, hadn't he..._

Chanyeol walked over on his way out the door and set a hand on Mark’s shoulder. The boy went stiff, desperately wanting to shrug it off.

The man's gaze was intense when he met it. “You’re going to be so powerful, Mark. Just wait and see.” 

When he finally let go, grabbing his phone and heading for the door, Mark finally let himself shiver, trying to shake off the feeling. _But he didn’t have the inhibitor on now… maybe... maybe he could-_

“Ah!” Chanyeol snapped his fingers, turning away from the door. “Kai? Before we go, if you please-” he motioned at the bracelet sitting on the table. 

The blonde man hurried to snap the bracelet around Mark’s wrist and Mark gasped as the pain shot through him again, but this time someone snagged his arm before he could collapse.

The door clicked shut behind Xiumin and Chanyeol and the world slowly resolved itself into something bearable again. 

Kai stepped back, letting go of his arm.

“You’ll get used to it.” he said, and then. “Are you hungry?”

Mark blinked at him for a long moment, trying to decipher what _exactly_ it was he’d get used to, before it was replaced with the thought that, yes, he was _famished._ He gave a hesitant nod. 

“I’ll get you something.”

The surprise that the man offered to give him food quickly faded with the realization that he was finally alone. 

When Kai walked back into the room, plate in hand, Mark had one foot out the window on the fire escape.

They both froze.

_Should he... make a break for it? Shit, the man could teleport, there's no way he wouldn't catch up. But if Mark didn't at least give it a shot, would he be able to forgive himself-_

“Chanyeol wasn’t lying.” Kai said, before he could make up his mind. “He won’t hesitate to hurt the Dreamies to get to you.”

The fire escape creaked underneath Mark’s shoe. 

“How old is the youngest?” Kai asked. He hadn’t moved from the doorway, plate still balanced in one hand. “Thirteen, fourteen? They’re just kids.”

Mark couldn’t help himself from bursting out. “ _I’m_ just a kid.” 

The man’s face twisted. “I know.” he said. “Believe me, I know.”

“Then let me go.” Mark pleaded, shifting his weight further into the foot out the window. 

“I can’t.” Kai said simply. “And even if I did, Chanyeol would track you back down in a few hours anyway or track down your Dreamies and make you regret crossing him. None of them have powers. You’ve still got an inhibitor on. Neither of you stand a chance.”

 _Mark hated this so much, so damn much._

Kai took a step forward and Mark hastily ducked fully out the window, so he was crouching on the fire escape.

The teleport watched him for a long moment and took another step forward, and another, until he was just a few steps away. 

"I'm... sorry. I really am." Kai said quietly. "But this is the way things are now."

The anger swelled inside of Mark and then drained out into nothing. 

_Mark didn’t have a choice, did he?_ He couldn’t risk the Dreamies. He was stuck here, for them. He was helpless. 

The man held out the sandwich plate. “It’s ham and swiss.” 

Feeling something shatter, Mark shuffled forward and climbed back inside, moisture pricking at his eyes. He took the plate from Kai and stumbled over to the couch, curling over himself. 

A tear dripped into the bread as he fumbled to pick up the sandwich.

“It’ll be better for you if you just accept it.” Kai just said quietly, and kept his gaze averted.

* * *

Chanyeol’s sharp gaze swept over the apartment when he and Xiumin returned. Mark was at the table, head down as he carefully kept his attention on the plans in front of him, and Kai was in the small attached kitchen, drying their plates. 

Chanyeol’s eyes flickered to the window and paused. Mark carefully kept his breath even and didn’t look his way. 

The man set down the bags he was holding on the table and ambled over to the window, tapping one hand on the glass, sliding his fingers over the lock, over the fresh gouges in the wood that Mark had made trying to pry the window open with a ruler. He hummed, catching Xiumin’s eye. Something passed between them and Mark went still as Chanyeol’s turned his gaze to him. 

“Thought we could use some fresh air.” Kai said quickly, appearing in the doorway, plates abandoned in the sink. “But I had trouble getting the window open.”

Mark gaped at him but managed to school the expression before the other man turned around. Xiumin just watched them all, a vaguely disapproving expression on his face.

Chanyeol let his hand slip over the wood for a minute more and then crossed the room to Kai’s side. The younger member went stiff as he approached. He couldn’t hold Chanyeol’s gaze. 

“Haven’t I told you not to lie to me until you’re better at it?” Chanyeol said quietly, patting the man’s neck.

Mark didn’t see Kai flinch, but his eyes tightened, and when Chanyeol took his hand away, the skin beneath was flushed an angry red. 

Half a second later, he sauntered over to Mark and tapped the back of his hand where it rested on the tabletop. 

Mark couldn’t help his gasp, snatching his hand away. The spot the man had touched was flushed, blistered, like Mark had touched a pan hot from the oven, or forgotten a stovetop was on and brushed up against it. Like… a _burn_. 

“A little reminder for next time you decide to… get some fresh air.” Chanyeol drawled and tapped the tabletop. And with that the man swept away for one of the other rooms. 

Xiumin just rolled his eyes, moving into the kitchen. A cabinet opened and closed and then he was back.

“He let you off easy, kid. Next time we won’t be so lenient.”

Mark bit his lip, trying to ignore the watering of his eyes from the pain. He glanced at the younger member, but the teleport's brow was pinched, his eyes turned away. 

Xiumin sank down into the couch and tossed something. Kai’s arm came up to catch it just in time, his fingers curling around what Mark realized was a damp dishcloth.

“Don’t get soft.” Xiumin said pointedly, holding Kai's gaze for a long moment.

Kai pressed the cloth against his neck. His fist clenched and unclenched. Then he turned and went back to the dishes.

Mark lowered his head and tried to ignore the aching of his hand, and the heavy weight that felt almost like guilt in his chest.

* * *

“Any possible hiccups you see?” Kai asked, as Mark hesitantly looked over the building plans and tried to remember to keep breathing. 

Mark risked a glance at Chanyeol where he was eating a bowl of noodles on the couch, a phone pressed to his ear with his free hand.

“It’ll be better to say it now.” Kai muttered. 

Mark chewed on his lip. His gaze flickered to Kai's neck, where there was still a pale pink handprint. 

“These electronic doors.” he said, pointing at perhaps the riskiest part of the plan. The part that he was here for. 

"What about them?”

“I need to see how they work.” Mark said hesitantly. “Otherwise I could do the wrong thing and trigger the shutdown.”

“Would blueprints be enough?” Xiumin spoke up. He didn’t even glance up from the map he was drawing of guard’s movements at the other side of the table. 

Mark wasn’t exactly sure what to do with the knowledge that the man had make breakfast for them that morning. Mark had eaten an omelette cooked by the feared Xiumin and it was… really good?

“I think so.”

Chanyeol tilted his head away from the phone and Mark tried not to be surprised that the man had been holding a phone conversation, eating noodles, and listening to their discussion all at the same time. 

The man seemed to consider it for a moment, hand tapping on his knee. “Blueprints... We can do that.”

* * *

“Remember, not a _word_.” Xiumin muttered as they walked into the wide room. 

Mark rubbed at his wrist, reveling in the lack of the weight of the inhibitor, the way he could feel vaguely feel the car outside the warehouse and even the lights system. Though the lights weren't in use, as sunlight flooding in through the broken roof made it unnecessary, the power was still _on_ and Mark could feel it humming quietly in the back of his mind. He didn’t dare try anything though, after the threats he’s gotten from _both_ Chanyeol and Xiumin. 

Xiumin was hovering next to him even now, shooting him a look if the boy even _glanced_ at anything vaguely electronic for too long. 

They were in one of the long-deserted warehouses on the south side of the city, weeds springing up between the concrete cracks even far indoors. 

It didn’t feel altogether unfamiliar to Mark, given that he’d seen Taeyong conduct plenty of these types of nondescript meetings. But he felt distinctly less safe standing there with Xiumin at his side and not Johnny or Yuta. 

A tall man in a long black coat strode forward to meet them, two others at his back. 

And Mark… Mark almost stumbled on the concrete as they got closer. He _recognized_ them. The one in the back, Bambam he thought, was close friends with Ten. And the man in the lead was Jaebeom, the leader of GOT7. Taeyong used to have meetings with him; the two groups were on good terms. _Or had been a year ago..._

Chanyeol slowed to a stop with several paces still in between the two groups.

“JB, you have my plans?” 

“Do you have my money?” the other man shot back. 

Chanyeol sighed, rocking back and forth on his heels. “It would be so much cheaper and easier to bypass all these formalities and just to _take_ the plans from you.” 

“Think you’ll be able to kill me before my sniper kills you?” Jaebeom said, easily. “Then sure, try it.”

Mark couldn’t help but tense, unsure if a fight was about to break out. _At least he wasn't wearing the inhibitor, he wouldn't be helpless... but he didn't want to fight GOT7 of all people._

Both groups still looked mostly relaxed.

Chanyeol barked a laugh, amused. “Ah yes, be sure to tell Jackson I say hello.”

He motioned to Kai. The man carried forward a duffle bag and unzipped it, placing it on the ground. Jaebeom tilted his head and the man next to him stepped forward and crouched, looking through the stacks of bills. 

“Good to see you too, Mark.” Chanyeol said.

Mark jerked his head up, but the man was obviously talking to the other Mark, the GOT7 member.

Other Mark, the man shifting through the bills, ignored them all, and continued to look through the stacks, examining a few closely. Finally, he nodded at Jaebeom and stepped back, bringing the duffle with him. The leader reached into his coat and removed a plastic mailing tube, which Kai stepped forward and took. 

“Mark.” Chanyeol said. There was a brief bit of silence and then Xiumin elbowed Mark in the side, hard. 

Chanyeol turned annoyed eyes to him and Mark felt a moment of panic. _Had he missed something?_

“Come look these over.” the man said. His voice was still casual, but Mark could hear the warning there.

Trying to keep his legs from shaking, Mark stepped forward, keeping his eyes away from everyone as he walked across the concrete floor to Kai’s side.

The teleport tilted the plans so he could see, and Mark tried to focus past his heart pounding in his chest, the heavy eyes on him. 

The blueprints matched what they knew so far about the high-tech door. The notations made sense, and it all seemed like industry standard plans, though Mark wasn’t sure he’d ever seen anything so complicated. Kai sorted slowly through the sheets, letting Mark look each over. 

It would be enough, enough to figure out how to open them. Mark brushed a piece of dust off one of them, double checking he’d be able to read the notation there. Finally, he shifted back on his heels and looked to Chanyeol, giving a small nod.

 _Not a word,_ he remembered.

Kai slid the plans down into the tube and stepped back, and Mark thankfully had enough sense of mind to follow him. When they were both back at the far end of the room next to Xiumin, Mark finally worked up enough courage to glance back at GOT7.

To his surprise, Jaebeom’s eyes were fixed on him, his eyes narrowed slightly. His gaze flickered to where Mark’s sleeve had ridden up, the angry red burn across the back of his hand. Heart speeding up, Mark tugged his sleeve down, moving to shift that hand out of sight behind his back.

“Pleasure doing business with you, Jaebeom.” Chanyeol drawled, turning away. 

“Got a new member?” Jaebeom asked, curiously, eyes still on Mark. 

Chanyeol paused, throwing a careless glance back at the kid. “Oh, yes, that’s Mark. Forgive him, he’s rather new.”

Bambam was peering at him across the room, a frown working its way into his face. “He looks an awful lot like Mark Lee. Of NCT.” 

The whole room went still, a sudden tension flooding the place.

Mark was frozen, eyes darting between the two groups. 

“Is that so?” Chanyeol murmured lowly.

“Yeah.” Bambam said, voice stronger now as he stepped forward. Jaebeom’s shoulders tensed at his member’s movement. “That _is_ Mark Lee, isn’t it?”

“So what?” Chanyeol’s voice had a dangerous note to it, now.

“He’s NCT. There are _rules.”_ Bambam said, brow creased, stumbling a bit over the words. 

For the first time since he’d failed to escape out the window, Mark felt a little brush of warm hope kindle in his chest. _Would... GOT7 help him? He wasn’t… he wasn’t NCT anymore, but if GOT7 didn’t know that… would they get him out?_

“Are you saying you want to cross me on this?” Chanyeol’s words managed to echo through the room despite their low volume. 

If the room was tense before, now it was stifling. 

But Bambam wasn’t backing down. 

“He’s what, sixteen?” he snapped. Jaebeom had to place a hand on Bambam’s chest to keep the younger man from shoving forward. “You can’t honestly think this is going to fly-"

“ _Bambam_.” His leader said sharply, and the man fell silent, shooting Jaebeom an angry glare. 

_GOT7 was a powerful gang, with talented fighters… but they were notoriously all unpowered… would they really be able to hold their own against Xiumin, Chanyeol, and Kai? Even with a sniper Mark wasn’t even sure was real?_

“Well?” Chanyeol drawled, almost daringly.

Jaebeom’s face was pinched as he glanced at Mark. But he looked away. 

“Congratulations on your new member, Chanyeol.” he said stiffly.

It shouldn’t… it shouldn’t have come as a surprise, but still Mark felt something in his chest throb.

Chanyeol flashed a slow, sharp grin. “That’s what I thought. Pleasure doing business with you, Jaebeom.”

And then they were moving out the door, Kai’s hand on his arm, leading him.

The last glance Mark got was of Jaebeom, eyes averted, a grim Other Mark, and Bambam’s furious, anxious face staring after them. But all of them were silent.

And then Xiumin was blocking his view, clucking his tongue disapprovingly, and motioning Mark to look forward.

_No one was going to help him._

_Mark really was stuck here. With EXO. No one was coming to save him._

By the time they got to the van, Kai was holding him up by his arm, the only thing keeping him from just falling to his knees.

When he let go, Mark curled up in his seat, face turned away towards the window.

 _"A new member..."_ Jaebeom had said.

 _Mark had been so stupid. EXO wasn't just going to let him go after one job. They'd never intended to. He was an asset. An asset they had blackmail over._ _They wanted him... they wanted him to become part of EXO. And he'd have no choice but to accept..._

Mark curled further towards his knees, hands beginning to shake. His thoughts were swirling so quickly he was beginning to feel sick. 

_He was never going to get to go back to the Dreamies, was he?_

“They wouldn't have been able to help you.” Kai said, too low for the others to hear.

Mark took in a shaky breath and ignored him, too focused on not letting the moisture in his eyes fall. 

The car stuttered a bit when Xiumin went to turn it on, and the teleport shot the boy a nervous glance. 

“Keep it under control or they’ll put the inhibitor back on.” he murmured. 

Mark squeezed his eyes tightly shut and just tried not to think anymore. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of angst here, but there are good times ahead, don't worry!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for mild violence.

"6, 5, 4..." 

From the shadows, Mark let in a shaky breath, risking a glance at the others, whose eyes were fixed on the tall building in front of them. Their destination. 

"... 3, 2, 1... _Now._ "

There was a sharp pop that Mark barely managed not to jump at, and Kai vanished. A moment later, the wide double doors swung open from the inside, the teleport waiting on the other side. 

"Showtime." Xiumin muttered as they stood. 

_This was it._ Mark squared his shoulders, heart beginning to speed up, and followed them out of the shadows. 

As they crossed the street and entered the fancy lobby, Chanyeol sighed, flexing his fingers. "I'd burn this place to the ground, but unfortunately we have to be more discreet."

"Hey!" There was a guard behind a desk to the right of the doors. He shoved to his feet as they walked in, hand jerking towards the holster at his side. "What do you think you're-"

A ball of ice collided with the side of his head and he hit the ground with a thud and didn't move. Xiumin brushed frost off his hands and didn't even blink. Mark tried hard not to gape.

_After watching the man sit around the apartment and cook them breakfast, he'd forgotten Xiumin was powered as well, and just as ruthless._

"Lay, if you will." Chanyeol drawled.

The man in question stepped forward. He shut his eyes, his brows furrowed in concentration. 

"There's almost twenty."

"That's more than we expected..." Xiumin frowned. "Can you still-"

Lay held up a hand, jaw clenched tight. The rest of the group went quiet, waiting. 

Mark shifted nervously in the silence. He still wasn't sure what the member's power even was. Lay had shown up a mere half hour before their heist went down, and hadn't even had time to glance at the plans before they'd needed to leave. He’d spent the entire time they’d been staked out eyeing a pigeon that was picking at a pizza crust on the sidewalk opposite, until Xiumin had finally shot an icicle at it and it flew away. 

The doors on the other side of the lobby burst open, and guards spilled into the room, yelling at them.

_"Put your hands up!"_

_Oh god, Mark was going to jail._ His hands jerked upwards almost automatically as he stumbled a step back at the cacophony of shouts. _He'd never even get to see the Dreamies again or apologize for disappearing on them- he never should have gone out that night at all-_

And then, just like that, all the guards _dropped_. One moment, they were shouting, raising their weapons, and the next, their eyes were rolling back into their heads and they were motionless on the floor. 

Mark turned wide eyes to Lay, lowering his hands. _Some sort of telepath then?_

Lay blinked his eyes open and started to speak but the words died as his knees gave way. Xiumin was there before he could hit the floor, looping one of telepath's arms over his shoulders. 

"Shit, that must have been too much." Xiumin breathed, holding up most of the taller man's weight.

Chanyeol didn't look bothered, nudging one of the guards with his shoe as he strolled towards the elevators. "Well, it should be simple from here on out. We've got the building to ourselves now." 

Mark would have stayed and stared at the bodies, still in shock, but Kai tapped his arm as he passed, reminding him to keep moving. He couldn't hold back a shiver as they had to step over a guard who'd collapsed in the doorway. 

"They're just unconscious." Xiumin scoffed, seeing his expression. “Much cleaner than how we usually leave it.”

Despite those dark words, the man carefully guided the lethargic Lay to step over the body, the telepath'shead lolling on his shoulder. Mark looked away, a jarring sense of contrast warring in his head.

And all too soon they had wound their way through an eerily silent facility, and were standing in front of the famed electronic door. 

Chanyeol waved him forward. "Mark, it’s your time to shine." 

"If you don't get this open, then this whole operation is screwed." Xiumin muttered, but his worried eyes were fixed on Lay and not the teen.

Anxiety curled heavy in Mark's gut and he couldn't seem to get his feet to unstick from the floor.

But Kai just sent him an encouraging nod and it gave Mark the strength to walk the few steps to the control panel. He took a steadying breath, trying to ignore the feeling of eyes on him, and reached out a hand.

A sharp gasp escaped him as the hum of the mechanisms engulfed him. It was probably the most complicated system he'd ever come in contact with. Without looking at the plans, he would have been hopelessly lost. Whoever designed it clearly worked hard to make it difficult to break into, even for those with technology based powers. Whatever was being stored here... was meant to stay there.

But vaguely he could sense Chanyeol's impatient eyes on him. He’d make the Dreamies pay if Mark backed out now. He’d make _Mark_ pay. Almost as a reminder, his hand throbbed, and his mind strayed to the burn on Kai's neck.

_If Chanyeol would do that to his own teammate... what would he do to Mark?_

He pushed the though away before it could overwhelm him, forcing himself to focus. 

_He could do this. He had to._

It took several long minutes, winding his way through the complex mechanisms, until finally there was a beep and a loud hum and the door began to move.

Mark stumbled back, startled out of his concentration, and nearly fell when his vision went black. The expected exhaustion crashed over him, his limbs going heavy and slow. 

An arm wrapped around him, holding him up. "Nice work, kid." Kai's voice said quietly.

"I knew you were a good choice, Mark Lee." Chanyeol laughed, sounding all too pleased. It was meant as a compliment, but it just made Mark feel cold to his core. 

The next few minutes were a blurry haze. He was vaguely aware of a room, much more dull than he had expected, filled with crates, and the others moving them, one by one, outside. Kai propped him up against one wall, where he could watch the proceedings with blurry eyes. 

By the time they removed the last box, the pounding in his head had partially abated and his thoughts felt somewhat clear.

"Time to go." Xiumin sang, pulling him roughly to his feet.

Mark stumbled along, trying to blink spots out of his vision. _They must have gotten what they wanted, if they were in such a good mood._ Even Lay seemed to have mostly recovered and was walking of his own accord, at least. And then they were out in humid night air, winding their way around the side of the building to the alleyway where the truck waited.

Mark nearly tripped as Xiumin came to an abrupt halt.

"Who is that?" the man hissed, and Mark followed their gazes up to the roof of the building opposite them. 

There was dark figure standing on the edge, silhouetted against the dim sky, watching them. 

Chanyeol cursed. "Kai, go-” 

The figure vanished from view.

“Someone knows we're here. We should go.” Xiumin said, tightening his grip on Mark's arm.

But Mark _knew_ that figure. He’d spent enough time with Yuta to know him even by his silhouette in the dark. 

_Yuta - Yuta was here. And if Yuta was around, maybe the other members were as well._

The realization didn’t inspire nearly as much fear in him as much as it would have a week ago… instead it felt almost like _relief._

He shut his eyes and concentrated on broadcasting _distress, fear, help_ as loudly as he could, hoping desperately that Yangyang was nearby. 

“He’s trying to communicate.” Lay said quickly, wide eyes snapping to him. 

“Stop it or your little Dreamies get it.” Chanyeol snarled, and Mark couldn't help but let _desperation_ flit into the tangle of emotions. 

The hand clutching his arm dropped in temperature and Mark gasped, his arm stinging. Jolted out of his concentration, his thoughts for Yangyang slipped away.

"We've risked too much for this to have you ruin it for us now." Xiumin hissed, squeezing tighter, and Mark gave another shaky gasp.

“He’s got it.” Kai said sharply and grabbed Xiumin’s wrist. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t try anything.” 

Xiumin raised his eyebrows but let go, letting Kai take his place next to the teen. Clutching at his arm, Mark stumbled along, feeling hopelessness begin to settle in his gut. And then, as they came around the corner, the three EXO members stopped short.

Mark dragged his gaze up from the ground and had to blink several times to be sure he wasn't hallucinating in his exhaustion.

Taeyong was perched casually on one of the crate that had yet to be loaded into the idling truck. Johnny, Yuta, Kun, and Xiaojun were spread out on the pavement next to him, their eyes all fixed on EXO and _Mark._ He couldn’t meet any of their gazes, shame curling in his stomach. _He’d done this. He was standing here at EXO’s side, helping them._

“Taeyong.” Chanyeol said evenly. He seemed to remember himself again, strolling closer with his members and Mark following behind, until the two groups were poised on opposite sides of the alleyway, eyeing each other.

“Chanyeol.” Taeyong returned, looking utterly relaxed.

“Is there something we can help you with?”

“Interesting operation you got going on here.” Taeyong reached out a hand and tapped the lid of the crate. “Hope you don’t mind I cracked one open. I was curious. I’m impressed. Must be a couple million worth of drugs in here.”

Mark felt sick, his gaze dropping back to his feet.

_Drugs. And he’d been the one who allowed them to get it._

Taeyong held up a small vial, gazing disinterestedly at it as he tilted it back and forth, the liquid sloshing inside. “Doesn’t really seem to be Suho’s style though… I remember hearing that he firmly opposes the drug trade?" He lifted his eyes to meet Chanyeol's. "But of course, you wouldn’t be doing operations behind his back. That must just be a silly rumor.”

Chanyeol gritted his teeth and his clenched fists began to smoke imperceptibly. 

“Lay.” he muttered. 

The telepath closed his eyes and Mark felt a weak wave of fear flush over him. Taeyong and the others didn't even flinch.

“It won't work.” Lay murmured, opening his eyes. The sensation vanished. “They’ve got a telepath nearby. He’s protecting them.”

Chanyeol twitched. “ _Surely_ you can beat him.”

The telepath adverted his eyes. “He’s stronger than I am right now, after the guards.” 

In truth, Lay's face was already paling from the effort. Xiumin had to reach out and grab his elbow to keep him from tipping over.

Chanyeol let out a low, frustrated breath, and stepped forward. 

“What is it you want, Taeyong? A cut?” the man spat. “Thought NCT was too _pure_ for that.”

Taeyong jumped off the crate, landing almost soundlessly on the pavement. He stepped forward and NCT shifted into a closer formation behind him.

“You seem to have misunderstood something.” he said, eyes piercing. “Mark Lee is not up for claim.”

Chanyeol blinked at the other leader. And then he laughed. The sound bounced off the alleyway's walls and Mark couldn't help but shift another half-step away from him. 

“Oh, so this is about the kid?”

“He’s a member of NCT.” Johnny spoke up, his expression hard. “Kidnapping another group’s members is a major offense.”

Chanyeol scoffed, shoulders relaxing. “Mark is no longer a part of your little group. He hasn’t been for nearly a year.” 

Taeyong shrugged. “It’s true Mark hasn’t lived with us recently. But he’s still a member of NCT.”

_He was… what?_

A pause and Chanyeol gave another long, loping laugh, tipping his head back to the sky.

"Oh, I see it now. You didn’t know did you?” he said when he’d caught his breath again.

Mark was watching the grinning EXO member out of the corner of his eye, heart pounding. He had no idea what the man was talking about now; this conversation was moving far too quickly for him to keep up, most of his brain still stuck on the fact that Taeyong had said he was still NCT-

“You let Markie here leave your little group- maybe he was too much trouble to keep around, maybe you were cutting costs- but most of all, you didn’t know about his powers, did you? So now you’re back to claim what’s ' _yours.'"_

He shrugged dismissively, looking far too gleeful. "It’s too late, you already let the boy with power to open any vaults, control any mechanisms, just slip through your fingertips. He’s EXO's now.”

Mark missed an inhale and took a late, shaky breath. He should have known NCT wouldn’t come for him now out of some sort of belated loyalty. Of _course_ they only wanted him back because his powers were an asset. They could use him for so much. _Just like... EXO._

There was a lapse of silence long enough that Mark snuck a wary glance upwards, just in time to see Taeyong tilt his head. He fixed his eyes back on the pavement, on Kai’s shoes just in front of him. 

“Can’t imagine Suho would be happy with you inciting a full out war.” 

Mark jerked his head up, gaping. Taeyong was still utterly relaxed, hands loose at his sides, like he hadn't just threatened all out _war._ For _Mark. How badly did they need his powers?_

Chanyeol went completely still, eyes fixed on the other leader, before he scoffed. “Who mentioned war? You and your measly little pacifists?” 

Taeyong’s eyes were glittering now in the light, as he stepped closer. And closer. 

“I am often underestimated, Chanyeol. People seem to think I… oppose violence. The truth is… I oppose _unnecessary_ violence. Let me assure you, if I have a reason to act…” He shrugged. “Well... you won’t hear of it, because I won’t leave anyone left to tell.”

Lay spoke up, voice faint, still leaned against Xiumin. “He’s not bluffing.”

Chanyeol's hands were clenched so tight they were nearly white. There was a hissing noise and the left one bloomed suddenly into flame. NCT didn't miss a beat, immediately shifting into defensive positions, Taeyong at the front and Yuta throwing up a force field in front of them. But Chanyeol just glanced, frustrated, down at his hand and snapped sharply. The flames went out, his jacket sleeve bearing a short, scorched section where it had caught alight.

The silence was heavy between them. After a moment, Taeyong made a motion and Yuta let the shield fall again. 

“You can keep your drugs and your unapproved operation.” The leader shrugged. “But Mark Lee is ours.”

Chanyeol’s arms trembled with barely concealed rage but he just took a single step back, turning blazing eyes to Mark.

Xiumin, surprisingly, moved to intercept, stepping between them and murmuring, “We can’t risk war when-” 

“I apologize. This was just a misunderstanding.” Chanyeol announced, cutting the elder off. In between one second and the next, the anger had completely vanished, and he was relaxed again. If Mark wasn’t mistaken, he looked almost… amused. 

“Why don’t you go along, Mark?” The man nodded across the alleyway to NCT. 

Mark froze, wide-eyed stare fixed on Chanyeol. 

_Was this a trap? It couldn’t be that easy. They couldn’t be letting him go._

Chanyeol waved his arm and Kai’s hand loosened and disappeared, the teleport's brow furrowing in confusion as he stepped back.

_What was going on?_

“Go on, Mark.” Chanyeol said, motioning him forward. “It’s your _choice_ after all, isn’t it?”

Mark took a shaky step forward. Nothing happened. The EXO members didn’t move, didn't try and stop him. So Mark took another step, and another, and another. The alley was deadly still.

“We wouldn’t want to keep you from your members.” The smug voice radiated a biting cold.

Mark stilled there in the center of the alleyway, limbs going shaky as he realized...

_His members._

Chanyeol stood there, smirking, content in the knowledge that Mark would walk right back to him. He knew he had all of Mark’s cards, the perfect cards. The lives of the younger boys. The Dreamies. Who couldn’t even defend themselves against powers. Who Mark had promised to protect through anything. 

Mark felt a flash of hatred and hopelessness course through him. He squeezed his eyes shut for a long moment, trying to fight the blurry moisture growing there, and took a step back, and then another, until he was in the ranks of EXO again, eyes fixed on the ground, face flushed with shame.

“Looks like he’s made his choice-” Chanyeol began.

“Mark.” an altogether different voice called out, and Mark couldn’t but look up.

Taeyong’s eyes were fixed intently on his, his posture casual, but somehow Mark could recognize something else in those irises, something almost desperate. 

Taeyong's eyes seemed to say _'Trust me. Please.'_

“Mark, come on.” And his voice was confident, and so utterly doubtless that Mark found his feet carrying him forward, ducking past Chanyeol’s hastily outstretched arm, out into the open middle of the alleyway. 

“I’ll kill them, Mark.” Chanyeol hissed after him and Mark flinched. 

But Taeyong’s expression didn’t change, his eyes didn’t move away from Mark’s own, so Mark kept his gaze fixed on the leader and kept moving forward, until he was there, standing right in front of him.

Taeyong held his gaze for a long moment, something searching in his eyes, as if to be sure Mark was all right, before his gaze flickered back to EXO’s side of the alleyway. In one smooth motion, he stepped around to stand in front of Mark, shielding him from Chanyeol and Xiumin’s furious glares. Johnny shifted to stand at Mark’s shoulder and NCT’s ranks closed around him. 

“You’ve got what you wanted. I got what I wanted. We can let this night be the past.” Taeyong said. 

Mark heard rather than saw Xiumin mutter something just barely too quiet for him to make out the words. But whatever it was had Chanyeol letting out a slow, tense breath. 

“You’ve got some nerve, Taeyong.” the man said, something dark in his voice. “Be careful. Things can get awfully dangerous in this city.”

Taeyong seemed to loom impossibly taller. “Don’t get mistaken, Chanyeol.” the leader said sharply. “NCT and EXO aren’t enemies. And you don’t want us to be. Do what you want, fuel the drug trade for all I care. But don’t even _look_ in the direction of any of my members again. Or I’ll make you regret it myself.”

And then Taeyong was striding off, NCT moving to follow. An arm looped around Mark’s shoulder and Johnny guided him away. He looked up from the pavement just once, and caught Kai’s gaze. The man, unlike the other EXO members, didn’t look angry or grim. If Mark had to guess, he’d say Kai looked almost… relieved.

_Mark hoped… he hoped Kai got better at lying._

There was a familiar black van parked by the sidewalk, and Mark, mind still numb, climbed through the back doors with the rest of them. Yangyang was waiting there, cross-legged in the cargo area, his face lighting up as he caught sight of them. Mark let himself be tugged down to sit on the cold floor as the vehicle started to hum, Johnny to his right, a stalwart, unshakeable force. 

“Are you alright? Did they hurt you?” the man asked fiercely. 

But Mark ignored him, his head starting to spin.

_EXO no long had him, which meant they'd be going after-_

“The Dreamies-” he managed to stammer, panic bleeding through his words.

“Are safe.” Taeyong cut in from the front seat. “They’re already at headquarters.”

“They won’t do anything until we get you though.” Yuta snorted. “What did you tell them about us? One of them nearly stabbed Lucas’ eye out with a chopstick. It took a shit ton of convincing to get them to stop fighting and come with us.”

“Please don’t hurt them!” Mark blurted out, desperately. He felt dizzy, like the world was spinning out of control. “I’ll do whatever you want, just let them go.”

There was a long pause and then Taeyong was climbing out of the passenger seat and making his way to Mark, surprisingly steady in the moving vehicle. He and Yangyang shared a quick glance, but no one in the car needed the telepath to see Mark was _afraid_. They all knew his tells already; Mark had been with them long enough for that. He fixed his gaze on the floor again and hugged his arms, shoulders hunching.

Taeyong crouched down. Waited until Mark met his gaze.

“We’re not going to touch them. They’re not here for blackmail. They’re here so we can keep them safe. EXO would have gone after them for revenge for you leaving.”

Mark couldn’t help the tiny, frustrated scoff, that welled up in his chest. Sure, _safe. Until NCT needed Mark to do something he didn’t want to do._

“You’re not here because of your powers.” Taeyong said, as if he were the mind-reader in the room. 

Mark looked at him disbelievingly. “Why else would I be here?”

Everyone in the car but Kun, who was driving, was looking at him. Mark didn’t know what to make of the mixture of anger and disbelief and… _sorrow?_ on their faces. 

“We wouldn’t _leave_ you to EXO.” Johnny snapped. He looked furious at the very idea.

“So what’s changed then?” Mark challenged, fists clenched tight in his lap. “That you’re here now. Insisting I’m NCT.”

“Nothing changed. You said you wanted to leave for awhile, so I let you leave.” Taeyong said quietly. “We don’t trap people, Mark. Everyone has a choice.”

 _That didn’t answer his question._ Mark felt wound tight, like a spring ready to pop. He pressed his lips together and fixed his gaze on Taeyong’s jacket.

“But I’m sorry I didn’t realize sooner.” the leader continued. 

Mark furrowed his brow, looking up at Taeyong, wondering what he was talking about.

“I’m sorry I didn’t realize,” Taeyong said quietly, and he reached out and cupped Mark’s neck, touch feather light, easy to be brushed off. “That you didn’t need someone to tell you it was okay to leave. You needed someone to tell you it was okay to stay.”

Mark went still. 

“No one ever blamed you for what happened.” he said. “Least of all Jaehyun himself.”

Mark couldn’t help but search his eyes, search all their eyes, for any hint of deception. He only found honesty. _Honesty he didn’t deserve._

“But-”

“And absolutely no one wanted you to leave because of it, whether it was your fault or not.” Johnny spoke up. “Which it _wasn’t_.”

“Your power could be moving the moon itself, Mark, and we wouldn’t care.” Yuta said. “We just want you home.”

“We… missed you.” Xiaojun spoke up, voice hesitant and lilting.

And Mark could feel Yangyang's emotions for himself, bleeding outwards, _affection and regret and excitement._

Mark ducked his head to hide the moisture growing in his eyes and Taeyong’s hand squeezed his neck for a moment, warm and gentle, before he moved back to the front.

Johnny’s arm snuck its way across his shoulders and Mark couldn’t help but lean into his side.

_Home… he was going home._

He was shaking lightly, when they turned into the familiar gravel road to HQ, trying to fight his breathing into something normal. Mark didn’t feel ready to face them all, face… _Jaehyun_ most of all _._

Someone settled on his other side, shoulder pressed up against Mark’s.

He peered out from behind his hair and saw Yuta sitting there, eyes fixed on the other side of the van. The man patted Mark’s knee when he felt his gaze, leaned a little further into his side. It was a promise. 

And Mark had to blink away tears again, at Yuta and Johnny, who’d he hadn’t seen in nearly a year, silently promising they’d have his back. At Xiaojun and Kun and Yangyang and Taeyong, who'd risked EXO's wrath to rescue him. 

Whatever came next… they’d stand beside him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just one chapter to go now! 
> 
> I wasn't able to get this one exactly where I wanted, but I don't think I can stare at it any longer lol. 
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has left support and comments, they encourage me sooo much!! <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> IT'S FINALLY HERE- please enjoy!!

All too soon the van was reaching the end of gravel road, the journey becoming distinctly less bumpy as they arrived at the paved section surrounding the warehouse that made up HQ. Kun drove around the side of the building and into the wide garage and Mark silently willed his hands to stop shaking as the car rumbled to a stop and shut off. 

The others piled out and Mark only hesitated for a moment before he let Johnny pull him to his feet. 

“It’ll be okay.” the man said, squeezing his shoulder and falling in to walk on his right flank, a silent support. 

Then they were rounding the side of the van, and Mark stumbled to a stop. Almost all of NCT was standing there across the room. Waiting. As he watched they straightened up, falling silent as their eyes flickered across the returning group, eventually settling on him. Mark fought the urge to stumble back in the van and disappear.

But one figure was standing a few feet in front of the rest, arms crossed over his chest, face creased in worry. _Jaehyun._ The man caught sight of Mark and his tense shoulders slumped, relief flooding his expression.

Mark's breath caught in his throat, having that gaze fixed on him. It felt heavy on his shoulders, a physical reminder of his guilt.

And then Jaehyun was making his way across the concrete floor towards them and Mark wanted to back up, but Johnny was solid at his shoulder, blocking any escape, and then Jaehyun was just yards away.

It was so silent. Just the click of Jaehyun's shoes against the concrete floor as he got closer and closer. 

Mark wanted to look away but he couldn’t tear his gaze away from Jaehyun’s face- the warm eye, the tilted lips, the black eyepatch stretched across the right half of his face, scar tissue peeking out on the sides. 

_All Mark’s fault._

_Maybe... maybe Jaehyun wanted justice. Maybe that’s why Mark was truly here. An eye for an eye._ Mark tried to steel himself. _It wasn’t like he didn’t deserve it._

Jaehyun paused a few feet away, gaze roving over Mark, something indecipherable in his expression. The weight was so heavy on Mark's chest now, wrapped like a vice around his ribs, and he couldn't breathe. 

Then Jaehyun gave a soft sigh, something softening in his gaze. He reached out- Mark couldn't help but stiffen- and tugged him into a tight hug.

Mark let out a sharp breath in surprise, his face smushed up against the soft fabric of Jaehyun’s sweatshirt. _What… what?_

“Welcome home.” Jaehyun said, voice firm in Mark’s ear. 

And Mark sagged, wrapped his arms desperately around him in return.

Someone let out a whoop- it sounded like Jungwoo- and then the rest of them were crowding around, ruffling Mark’s hair, and he was suddenly desperately aware of how much he’d missed his friends- his _brothers._

"Stop hogging Mark." someone whined and Jaehyun laughed lightly, a sound that reverberated through his chest and vibrated against Mark's ear, but the man let go and Mark didn't have time to feel the loss before Dongyoung crashed into him.

Winwin and Jungwoo were close behind, not bothering to wait their turn, just wrapping their arms around the both of them. Hendery managed to reach through the tangle of limbs to pat Mark on the back, smiling softly, and Mark gave him a shaky grin in return.

“You’re so dumb.” Dongyoung hissed, but he didn’t let go.

Not until someone brushed up against Mark's hand and he winced before he could help himself and Taeyong’s eyes found the burn. His face darkened. The leader turned away for a moment, fists clenched tight, something stormy in his eyes, and Yuta took over, playfully pushing the others off Mark. 

"We should get Taeil to look him over." he said, ignoring their complaints. “You’ll have plenty of time to catch up later.”

Mark shrugged. "It's okay, I'm not really hurt."

He was far more interested in seeing the Dreamies, making sure they were all right with his own two eyes. He wasn't sure he'd truly be able to believe it until then. 

Yuta just raised his eyebrows, gently snagging Mark's wrist and pointing to the burn.

"Okay, well I'm _mostly_ fine." Mark amended, face flushing slightly.

But Taeil, with the hawk eyes of a medic, was already pushing through the gaggle of members to them, ending any chance of Mark brushing off a trip to the infirmary. 

"Aish, why didn't you mention this sooner, Mark?" he chided, careful hands taking Mark's and lifting it up so he could see the wound better in the light of the garage.

"It's nothing, I really should go check on the Dreamies-"

But Taeil was already tugging him in the direction of their tiny infirmary. “Not until you get this bandaged first.” 

Johnny and Yuta trailed along, seemingly still loathe to let Mark out of their sight. Jaehyun lingered to say a few quiet words to Taeyong that had the man's shoulders loosening, some of the anger fading as he glanced to Mark. They followed as well, a few yards behind. 

And then they were entering the familiar room, and Taeil guided him to sit on one of the cots before he bustled away, gathering supplies. Mark never thought he’d find the infirmary _relaxing_ but it was quiet, and it smelled like that pine tree oil diffuser Taeil bought cause he disliked the smell of antiseptic, and now that the worst part of coming back here was over _(facing Jaehyun)_ , he could feel the weariness from earlier settling back in his limbs. 

The cot dipped slightly and Mark blinked to find Yuta next to him. He hummed and tipped his heavy head to rest on Yuta’s shoulder, felt the man’s shoulder shake slightly as he tried to stifle a laugh. 

“Must be tired.”

“Probably from overusing his powers.” 

A grim silence settled over the room.

“This never should have happened.” Taeyong said, his voice quiet and sharp.

And the shame in Mark’s gut had him blinking his eyes open, forcing the exhaustion away. 

“I’m sorry. It’s my fault.” he said quietly.

His hyungs blinked at him, like they thought he’d fallen asleep in the thirty seconds since they'd arrived.

“Mark, it wasn’t-”

Sitting up even thought the quick motion made his head spin, Mark let out a shaky breath. “It _was_ my fault, this whole thing was my fault.”Despite himself he found his eyes straying to Jaehyun. To the eyepatch.

“I’m sorry," he whispered, and the apology felt different this time, with his eyes locked on Jaehyun. The long-overdue words seemed to crack and bleed in the air between them. "It was all my fault."

Jaehyun’s gaze was piercing, and Mark couldn't hold it. He focused on the scuffs in the linoleum floor instead, on his shaky breaths in and out. 

There was some rustling, and Jaehyun sat on the cot just across from Mark and Yuta, filling his vision. 

“It wasn’t.” 

“It _was_. I didn’t pay enough attention and you…” ... _lost an eye because of me._ Mark still couldn’t say it. 

“Mark.” Jaehyun said gently. “Look at me.”

Mark dragged his gaze up from the ground.

“It wasn’t your fault-”

_Why did they keep saying that?? When it was a lie?_

“But if I hadn’t messed up the wiring, then it never would have short-circuited like that-”

“Mark.” Jaehyun interrupted, and the grimness in the set of his jaw had Mark falling silent. “It wasn’t the wiring that caused it to malfunction.”

His thoughts ground to a halt. “... What?”

At his shell-shocked expression, Jaehyun continued gently. “The wiring was Kun’s first assumption because it made more sense than me forgetting to cut the breaker and going into work with it still live.”

“Wait… live?”

_But that would mean..._

Jaehyun sighed, his whole body slumping a bit. “It took me a long time to unscramble what happened that day, with the concussion and head injury and frankly I still don’t remember it all. But I do remember walking over to turn off the breaker and getting distracted with an idea for a revision and jotting it down instead. I didn’t cut the power at all.”

“Honestly, I got lucky.” he said grimly, tapping at his eyepatch. “We both could have died.” 

Mark flinched at the thought, looking away. It may not have been the wiring then, but... _there was another possibility._

“Are you… are you sure?" Mark whispered, unable to look at any of them. "It would have been around the time of my first flares…” 

It took a moment for them to understand and Mark could see the moment it clicked. Taeyong immediately shook his head sharply. “It couldn't have been your powers, there wasn’t any evidence of outside influence or an overload."

"Just the results of me sticking a metal tool into a piece of actively electrified and very delicate equipment.” Jaehyun said, almost rueful. 

Mark couldn’t help but slump in relief, moisture rising unbidden in his eyes. 

_It wasn’t Mark’s fault. It hadn’t been him._

It felt like something had been lifted off his shoulders, and he could breathe, _really_ breathe. He raised a shaking hand to cover his face, blinking hard as he tried to fight back the swell of emotions.

"Oh, Mark." Jaehyun breathed, and then he was shifting to sit next to Mark, pulling him into another tight hug. “Of course it wasn't your fault... I’m sorry you’ve been carrying that. We didn’t even- we didn’t realize.”

Hidden from it all, Mark felt safe to let the tears finally fall, dripping into Jaehyun’s sweatshirt. “I thought you all probably hated me.” he whispered, voice muffled in the fabric. 

“ _Never,_ Mark.” Johnny vowed.

“You left three months later, we didn't even make the connection. There was so much going on then." Taeyong sighed, and Mark heard footsteps. A hand came to rest on his hair. "So many people had gotten hurt just that month, we all just thought you had seen enough pain and decided you needed something different."

"No one resented you for it.” Yuta said. "We all understood."

“No, that… that wasn’t it at all.” Mark shook his head, not moving away. He let out shaky breath, thinking back to those miserable three months hiding away in his room and avoiding everyone's eyes. “I felt so guilty all the time, being here, and people were treating me differently, and I just... couldn't look at you all anymore."

“I think we all just assumed you needed space to process it all.” Taeyong admitted, the hand carding through his hair.

Frustration welled up in him and he hissed, “I’m such an idiot, if I had just _talked_ to someone-” _-none of this would have happened._

“Hey, no." Johnny said sharply. "Mistakes were made on both sides. We could see something was wrong, we should have talked to you about it too before you felt like you had to leave.”

"But _still-_ "

"You're back home, Mark." Jaehyun interrupted Mark's spiraling thoughts, his arms wrapping around the teen a little tighter. "That's what matters."

_Back home._

Surrounded by the quiet warmth of his family, Mark just clung to Jaehyun and let his tears fall. No one rushed him as he sniffled, shoulders shaking slightly, and slowly his tears petered out. He felt _exhausted,_ limbs heavy, but he'd seemed somehow _lighter_ than before. Even when he stopped crying, he didn’t move from his place sandwiched in Jaehyun’s arms, face buried in his sweatshirt. He could just stay here, basking in the knowledge that they didn't hate him, that it hadn't been his fault. That they'd missed him as much as he had them... 

“Is he… asleep?” Johny whispered, breaking the silence.

Mark mumbled an incomprehensible noise. 

He heard chuckles. Yuta ruffled his hair lightly, tugging him upright again, though Jaehyun’s arm stayed around his shoulders. “Hey, no sleeping until you tell us if you’re hurt anywhere.”

It finally registered that Taeil had been hovering awkwardly in the background this entire time, but Mark was too tired to be embarrassed. He knew their eldest hyung would stay quiet about this conversation anyway, their medic committed to respecting their privacy.

“Just my hand.” he murmured. The adrenaline had finally faded enough that he could feel his injuries again. “It got burned. Oh, also my arm. I don’t know what happened, Xiumin made it cold?”

Taeil inspected both wounds with gentle hands and determined that Mark's arm sported a low level cold burn, which Mark found somehow ironic, a _burn_ , from the _cold_ (not that the irony made it hurt any less). The medic ended up bandaging both items and wouldn't let Mark leave the infirmary until he’d eaten a couple of protein bars to get his energy levels back up. 

The others seemed content to stay and wait with him. In the silence, Mark finally got to ask the question niggling at his mind. 

“How did you guys know EXO had me?” 

Yuta flashed a small smile, leaning back against the headboard of the other cot, where he'd moved to give Taeil room to work. “Donghyuck tracked us down, yelling bloody murder, when you didn’t come home all night. He thought we had taken you. For a bit we guessed maybe you'd got picked up by the police. Jaehyun was in the process of hacking their cameras when Jaebeom and Bambam called us and told us you had shown up with EXO at a meeting.”

"Oh, I'm... glad. That they called you." Mark said, trying to hide his surprise. He honestly hadn't expected the gang to do anything of the sort.

A rare flash of anger worked it’s way across Taeyong’s face. "Calling us was the bare _minimum_ they could have done, after they left you to EXO-"

"Taeyong." Yuta interrupted, sending him a look. "Not here."

Mark looked between the two of them, confused, but was distracted from asking about it when Johnny cleared his throat.

"I think you should know." he said, and his eyes were grim as he looked at Mark. "That Kai called me."

Mark froze. “... What?”

“He called me and tried to tell us about the heist, but we already pieced together the details from GOT7. He didn't get much of the story out, because I told him to hang the hell up and not tell us a thing. EXO… would not be kind if they found out he gave us information.”

 _Of course they wouldn't be,_ but Mark's mind was still stuck on the earlier statement. “Kai _called you…?”_

Johnny grimaced. “We… used to be friends.” 

And that was a whole new thought to wrap his head around. _Friends? Kai and Johnny?_

Taeil, packaging away the extra bandages on the other side of the room, wasn't able to stop the surprise from flitting across his face either.

"It was long before I joined NCT." Johnny said tightly, and didn't offer anything more. He was stiff, arms folded rigidly across his chest, posture almost screaming his discomfort with the topic at hand.

“He... was nice to me.” Mark offered, hesitant. “Got in trouble trying to protect me.”

Johnny took in a slow breath, let it out. “Bad people can be nice.” he said finally and Mark frowned, because he wouldn’t describe Kai as _bad._ Not when he'd tried his best to keep Mark from the worst of Chanyeol's and Xiumin's fury, even at risk of drawing it on himself.

Mark opened his mouth to say just this, but behind Johnny, Taeyong shook his head slightly, clearly warning him against pressing the subject.

"If you feel okay to discuss it... what happened exactly with EXO?" the leader spoke up.

Mark took a slow breath in and out, focused on the feeling of Jaehyun's arm slung over his shoulder.

"Our rent was overdue and our landlord said she'd kick us out if we didn't pay by the next day... so I..." He hesitated, not exactly proud to admit he'd been hacking ATMs for the past few months so they could get by.

"Mark, it's okay," Yuta told him. "Donghyuck already told us when we started searching for you."

Mark blinked, vaguely surprised that none of them were going to chastise him about it. "Oh. Well then Chanyeol showed up in the alleyway, asked me if I wanted to help him out on a job. I, um, said no, but he didn't care. I don't know exactly what happened but Kai showed up and I passed out and woke up at a safe house with an inhibitor bracelet."

Johnny sucked in a sharp breath. 

Mark plowed on, not really wanting to revisit the experience. "They threatened the Dreamies so... I agreed to help them with their heist." He snuck a glance at Taeyong and was encouraged by the lack of judgement there.

"I tried to escape once but..." He trailed off, unsure how to explain what had happened, not without mentioned Kai again, and settled for just motioning to his bandaged hand instead. 

Jaehyun squeezed his shoulder and he took a breath and moved on.

"They seemed really interested in my powers when they heard I only had them for three months, especially since I'd blown up that car." He looked up quickly, eyes wide. "Which was an accident I _swear._ I panicked and it just sort of happened."

But his hyungs didn't look angry at all, just a little... shellshocked. 

"You've really only had your powers for three months?" Yuta whistled. "That's... really impressive, Mark."

"Chanyeol kept talking about how powerful I could be." Mark muttered, uncomfortable at similarly this conversation was going. Jaehyun seemed to sense it, moving the discussion onwards.

"What happened after that?" 

But thinking back now, without the distracting adrenaline flowing through his veins, something stuck out to Mark for the first time, something that didn't make sense. His brow furrowed as he looked up at his hyungs.

"How did they know I blew up that car?"

With that one simple question, the tension in the room seemed to skyrocket. Johnny just sighed, glancing to Yuta and Taeyong. 

"GOT7 told them about your powers." the leader said bitterly. "I trusted Jinyoung with the information, a mistake which I won't make again. One of his members mentioned it to Xiumin."

"They didn't know it was a secret-" Yuta objected, "If they had known, they never would have-"

"Either way, they shouldn't have said anything!" Taeyong threw out a hand, voice dipped into a shout. "They should have known it would make Mark a target!"

Mark shrunk a little, eyes darting between the two. 

"Still, you can't just _cut ties_ , you won't even _listen_ to their apology-"

"We almost lost Mark to EXO, " Taeyong snapped darkly. "Whatever they say, it won't be enough." 

Yuta deflated slightly. "I know that, but-"

"Guys." Jaehyun interrupted, tilting his head at Mark. "This isn't the time for this."

The two turned their gazes to the teen, whose shoulders were hunched slightly as he leaned into Jaehyun's side, clearly ill at ease, and both looked a little guilty. 

"We're not... on the best terms with GOT7 right now." Taeyong said, with a forced smile. "It's nothing for you to worry about, Mark."

It kinda _did_ sound like something to worry about, considering GOT7 had been their closest ally at one point, and ostracizing powerful gangs was usually not a smart move. But Yuta and Taeyong seemed to come to a mutual decision, letting the conversation drop.

“Is your patient good to go?” Yuta spoke up, voice bright, and the tension in the room faded with the subject change.

Taeil nodded, looking to Mark, his expression stern as his medic side took over again. “Don’t fiddle with the bandages or get them wet. If you need to shower or something come find me after and I can replace them. Take it easy the next few days and try not to use your powers too much so they can recover from being overtaxed. You’ll probably be pretty tired for the rest of the week so eat well and rest.”

“Thanks, hyung.” Mark said quietly.

Taeil moved suddenly forward and pulled Mark into a delicate hug, mindful of his hurt arm. “It’s good to have you back.” he said, quiet but earnest, and stepped back. 

"I'm glad to be back." Mark admitted, and Taeil _beamed_. 

The second story of the warehouse was where the personal quarters were located, bedrooms and showers and the living area and kitchen. Mark couldn’t help the sweep of fondness as they entered the large living room and he caught sight of the familiar chaos: mismatched couches, shoes scattered over the doorway, the NCT members lounging about despite it being the early hours of the morning now.

His breath caught as he spotted a familiar pair of house shoes in the corner, neatly sat against the wall. “Are those mine?” 

Yuta shrugged, already moving across the room towards the fridge. _He used his powers tonight too,_ Mark remembered _,_ and felt vaguely bad for not offering him one of his protein bars.

“We never put them away. Guess we all hoped you’d walk back in the door someday.”

Mark hid his smile as he slid them on, warmth kindling in his chest again.

“They might be a little more worn than you remember." Johnny told him with a grin. "Lucas wears them every other day.” 

“Speaking of Lucas, we should probably go check on the Dreamies before they climb out a window or something and try to rescue you from EXO themselves.” Taeyong said, chuckling a bit. 

Mark stumbled on the decorative rug- _when had they replaced this? it was softer than he remembered-_ looking to the leader with wide eyes. His hyungs caught into his alarm, concern washing over their faces and they too came to a halt.

"What's wrong?"

“You put them in a room with a _window_?” Mark cut in.

Taeyong relaxed again, amused, and waved a hand. “Ten and Lucas are watching them, it’ll be fine.”

Mark was already desperately shaking his head, beelining for the hallway, visions of the Dreamies descending two stories on a haphazard rope made of sheets tied together dancing in his mind.

 _“_ No, you don't understand- _”_

“Ten and Lucas won't hurt them, Mark, you know that.” Johnny said, face creased in confusion.

“It’s not the _Dreamies_ I’m worried about.”

There was an ear-piercing yell- distinctly _Ten’s_ \- from down the hall and dread flushed through Mark. He broke into a run and slammed open the door… just in time to see Ten throw down a hand of cards, cursing.

His dramatic arrival went unnoticed amongst the Dreamies high-fives and cheers.

“Fork over the candy.” Renjun crowed, waving his own cards in the air.

“ _Damn it!”_

On Ten's side of the circle, Lucas gave perhaps the fakest pout Mark had ever seen, gazing sadly down at his cards. “Aw, we lost again?”

Donghyuck swept a large pile of candy bars across the patch of floor that seemed to be serving as the game table, bringing them over to the Dreamies’ side, and Mark _recognized_ that mischievous expression. His panic filtered away, replaced by vague exasperation as he slumped against the doorway, relieved.

Jisung, cross legged on the floor next to Renjun, cackled at Ten's colorful language, already unwrapping a chocolate bar. He tossed one over to Chenle, who perched on one of the bunks, also grinning.

“You all cheated.” Ten accused. 

Jaemin gasped, clasping a hand over his chest. “How dare you-”

"I know _you're_ a cheater, Donghyuck, don't play innocent-" Ten stabbed a finger in the teen's direction, and the rest of the Dreamies bristled. 

“Don’t make accusations like that.” Lucas chided gently, pulling Ten back. “We’re not sore losers.”

Ten grumbled to himself until Jeno spoke up. “Double or nothing?” 

Okay, Mark _knew_ he wasn't imagining the sly glint in the teen's eyes.

Ten narrowed his own eyes, but didn't seem to pick up on it. “... Fine.” He began gathering up the cards that were scattered across the room. 

Jaemin slid Lucas a good portion of the candy while Ten’s back was turned and Mark couldn’t even bring himself to be surprised. 

But Johnny and Taeyong had finally caught up to him, and though Mark wanted to revel in the relief that the Dreamies were all safe, _happy_ even, he could pick up on the subtle tension lingering in Jeno's shoulders and the nervous tapping of Renjun's fingers, and knew he shouldn't put it off any longer. He stepped further into the room.

“Guys?” he said hesitantly.

“Mark!” Chenle gasped, and the six were on their feet in an instant. 

Lucas’ whole face light up with a smile. “Mark, you’re back!” He clambered to his feet as well and threw his arms open, but then seemed to pick up on the tension in the room and slowly let them drop, looking back and forth between NCT and the Dreamies. 

“Do we need to fight them?” Renjun said, glowering at Johnny and Taeyong behind Mark despite the fact that his hands were full of candy. He was eyeing them all carefully and Mark was suddenly afraid the boy would find a way to use a Snicker's bar as a weapon.

“No, definitely not." he said quickly. "They rescued me from EXO. It’s a long story but… this whole thing was a misunderstanding. I left because I thought I wasn't welcome here anymore. Self-imposed exile of a sort. But no one was actually angry with me.”

“That’s kinda dumb, hyung.” Jisung said, and Ten and Lucas started chuckling. Mark fought the urge to just bang his head against the wall.

“Yeah, I see that now.” he said, and thank goodness Johnny’s arm was swinging around his shoulders, taking some of the embarrassment away.

“That’s Mark for you.” Ten shrugged, and the Dreamies scowled, almost as one. 

_Wow, Mark had never realized how scary that looked._

“You making fun of our leader?” Renjun snapped and Ten took a step back, raising his hands. “That’s _our_ job.”

“We can probably take them.” Donghyuck said to Jeno, like everyone in the room couldn’t hear them. Jeno just sent him an incredulous look, shaking his head. 

“Please don’t attack the people who saved me, Donghyuck.” Mark sighed.

“You can’t tell me what to do.” the boy peevishly replied, and Johnny barely stifled his laughter. 

“Wait.” Chenle said, something close to fear coming over his face as he took in Johnny's arm draped over Mark's shoulders. “Are you going back with NCT now?”

Jaemin jerked his head to look at him, like a deer caught in the headlights. “You’re... leaving us?" His voice sounded younger than Mark had ever heard it.

Renjun didn't manage to hide the dismay that flitted across his face. Some of the candy bars slipped out of his hands and into the floor, unnoticed.

“You can’t!” Jisung blurted out, looking about two seconds away from tears. 

Taeyong stepped forward before the conversation could get further out of hand.

“Actually. You all are more than welcome to stay with NCT.” 

The Dreamies shifted their gazes to Taeyong, stunned. Mark was frozen, well aware that he was gaping at Taeyong, but unable to stop. 

“When you say _stay_ …” Jeno said hesitantly. “Do you mean like stay until-we-get-our-feet-under-us stay or stay as in join-NCT stay.” 

“If you’d prefer short term, there’s no pressure, but I was referring to joining NCT.” Taeyong confirmed, with a small smile. “It’s been awhile since we’ve gotten any new members. We could use some fresh eyes around here. If any of you have any previous group affiliations, we’ll need to talk, but yes, I was referring to joining.”

Jaemin’s eyes were narrow, immediately on guard. “Why? You don’t even know us.”

“Any family of Mark and Donghyuck is family of ours too.”

The Dreamies didn't seem to know what to do with that statement. There was a long moment of silence as everyone just kind of stared at each other. 

Mark hadn't even _considered_ it before, having thought for the past year that he wasn't welcome in NCT, let alone all the Dreamies. But he was suddenly, desperately afraid that the younger boys would turn down the offer and go back to the streets instead, and then Mark would have _choose._ Choose between the hyungs who'd rescued Mark and given him a home all those years ago, and the brothers, the _kids,_ he'd formed another family with and promised to protect. Mark wasn't sure he'd be _able_ to choose. 

“We need to discuss it.” Renjun said abruptly. 

The six of them huddled in a circle right then and there and started talking, easily loud enough to be overheard.

“How do you guys feel about joining NCT?”

Jeno clicked his tongue, skeptical. “I don’t know, sounds kinda dangerous.” 

“Sounds _cool_.” Jisung corrected. 

Johnny snorted. 

“Anyway they’re like. A chill gang. I mean just look at Mark. He was with them for four years and he’s still helpless.”

Chenle, the traitor, made a noise of agreement. “Can’t even cook spaghetti by himself.”

Mark's face was definitely flushing. He could see Ten and Lucas's grins out of the corner of his eye and resolutely didn't look in their direction.

“Neither can Jisung!” he called, a bit desperately. 

The Dreamies, of course, ignored him. 

"Who needs to cook spaghetti anyway?" he grumbled, looking to Johnny for backup, but the man's shoulders were silently shaking.

"How badly can you mess up _spaghetti?"_

Mark's mind flashed to the all too vidid memory of a pot on fire, shooting flames upwards towards the ceiling, and three panicked, yelling kids tossing wholly ineffective glasses of water at it until the fire alarms finally activated, drenching everything.

"I don't want to talk about it." he muttered.

On the other side of the room, the debate for the future of the Dreamies seemed to be coming to a close.

“I mean, we can’t just leave Mark here alone.” Jaemin said. “He could get kidnapped again.”

Renjun sighed, a tad dramatically. “We don’t really have a choice, do we? Someone’s got to watch out for our idiot leader.”

The part of Mark that wasn’t insulted, was warm. 

Jeno made a face. “Plus, we did get kicked out of the apartment and I hear real estate is a hassle right now.” 

“Also we don’t have any money.” Jisung chimed in.

Mark could see Donghyuck's shrug from across the room. “It seems only logical.”

There was a pause, and Renjun poked his head out of the huddle and motioned at Mark. He blinked and went over to join them.

The Dreamies faces turned serious when the circle closed again, tighter this time, hidden from the others' sight. 

They were all looking at him. Expectant.

"You think we should?" Jaemin asked quietly. It was real this time, none of the play-acting bravo present from before.

Mark had known the boy long enough to decipher the separate question in his eyes.

He tapped his chin twice, the sign they'd make up a long time ago to indicate all was well and his words were his own. 

"I shouldn't have left in the first place." he admitted. "But... if I had stayed, then I wouldn't have met you all. So... the whole thing was worth it, in the end."

He shook his head, _because_ _that wasn't the question at hand_ , and met their eyes instead. "They'll take care of you guys. I promise."

Then there was a flurry of traded looks, a silent conversation in the way that only the Dreamies had perfected. Jeno and Jaemin were clearly more hesitant, likely concerned about the implications of joining a gang. Chenle's face was unreadable, but his fingertips were shaking slightly. Jisung was a mix of vague excitement and conflict, and Renjun was already fully on board.

Donghyuck dispersed their worries with a quick shake of his head. _No, they weren't required to be a part of the more illegal sides of NCT in order to be a member. Neither were they required to have powers._

Though Mark _was_ curious to know how things would go on that front in the next few years. Most abilities emerged between the ages of fourteen and eighteen, but there were plenty who developed them sooner than that (like Yangyang) or much later. And some developed less obviously than others. They hadn’t even _realized_ Taeyong was invulnerable until one day an assassination attempt had failed abruptly when the bullet had bounced right off his chest.

It didn't really matter to the leader, or to the rest of NCT, Mark knew. If the Dreamies were powered, they were powered, if they weren't, they weren't. True, NCT had an unusually high number of powered members for a gang, with Mark making the tenth, but it had just kind of happened that way. It wasn't a requirement to be in NCT by any means.

Johnny, after all, as Taeyong's second in command, was the perfect example that someone didn't need special abilities to be a powerful fighter. 

There were some more traded glances. 

_Guys,_ Renjun seemed to say, jerking a thumb at Mark, _if it goes wrong we can just pull a Mark and leave again._

And that surprisingly, was the thing that seemed to calm everyone. 

Mark made sure to catch Chenle's eyes so he could see if the boy was truly all right with joining, or just going along with the majority. Chenle gave him a nod, still a bit worried but resolute. His hands were steady now. And Mark had to take in a slow breath, once again in wonder at the trust the Dreamies had placed in him. All of them were willing to risk it solely on Mark and Donghyuck's word.

“So everyone’s in favor?” Jeno asked, breaking the silence. 

Six varying noises of agreement. 

"Mark," Donghyuck said, impatient. "What’s your vote?”

He blinked, surprised to still _get_ a vote. “Oh, um, yes.” he said. 

“Unanimous then.”

The huddle broke and Donghyuck cleared his throat, perfectly straight faced. “After careful consideration, we’d have decided to join NCT.”

Taeyong smiled. Johnny looked like he was trying really hard not to laugh, but he managed not too, which Mark was relieved about, considering Donghyuck probably would have kicked him in the kneecap if he had. 

“None of us have prior affiliations,” Jaemin said, “So that’s not a problem.” and the others nodded in confirmation, and Mark was probably the only one who could tell that Chenle’s nod was just a little too late, his breathing just a smidge too fast. But it had been so quick and Mark’s brain was far too tired to follow the train of thought anywhere important, and already things were moving on. 

“Yangyang’s gonna be relieved that he isn’t the youngest anymore.” Johnny chuckled. "Like he thinks we'll stop babying him just because of that."

Mark laughed, having experienced the hyungs' inescapable protectiveness surrounding the younger members of the group himself, especially in the early days when he'd been the youngest, eleven years old and oh so scared.

“We’re gonna get so much cake.” Donghyuck grinned, rubbing his hands together. 

Rolling his eyes, Ten shook his head and crossed his arms. “For the record Donghyuck, _you_ can’t join NCT because you never technically left in the first place.”

“What? I totally did.”

“Yelling at all of us in the middle of dinner about being idiots for letting Mark leave and disappearing in the middle of the night doesn’t count as officially leaving the group. You didn’t get Taeyong’s permission.” Lucas piped up, ignoring Donghyuck's glare.

“I _did_. We had a conversation about it.” he said petulantly, turning his eyes to Taeyong.

“You mean when I tracked you down in the park the weekend after you left? If I remember correctly you said, ‘I’m staying with Mark until you idiots get your shit together,’ and walked away." Taeyong said drily. "None of which sounds like “I’m leaving NCT, Taeyong can I go?”

Donghyuck pouted and started muttering about them ganging up against him.

Mark stared at him, wide eyed, trying not to shown the surprise and gratefulness on his face, but he didn't think he was successful given the way the teen caught sight of his expression and scoffed at him.

It's just... he'd never known that. Mark had opened the door of his worn down motel room a few days after he'd left NCT, on his own for the first time in five years and trying not to show how terrified he was, and had found Donghyuck standing there. The boy had simply pushed his way inside, said that he'd had a disagreement with the others and that he left NCT too, and why don't they just stick together?

He hadn't listened to any of Mark's guilt ridden words trying to convince him to go back, and had stuck by him when they ran out of money for food, and when Mark blew the fuses again on accident and got them kicked out of another apartment, and when they ended up taking in five other kids when they didn't even have the funds for two.

“Kun bakes every new member a cake when they join.” Johnny explained to the Dreamies, chuckling. “Donghyuck, you’ll get cake at your birthday, like everyone else.”

“But it was my birthday _last_ month, I’ll have to wait eleven months again!" the boy whined. "And I missed out last year too!”

Mark watched them all lightheartedly bicker over the cake tradition, feeling like something important had finally slotted into place. 

“I can’t believe we’re joining NCT, hyung.” Jisung said, sidling up to him. He looked excited and afraid all in one, and almost nostalgic. “I still feel like after this we’re going to go back to the apartment and everything will go back to how it was."

Mark reached out and tugged him into a hug, guessing what he might be feeling. “We’ll still be the Dreamies, Jisungie. We’ll just be NCT too.”

Chenle was suddenly there as well, squeezing both of them tight. And Jaemin appeared on his left and joined the hug, Jeno, Donghyuck, and Renjun close to follow. 

“I’m glad you’re okay, hyung.” Chenle whispered. “We were so worried.”

“I’m glad you’re all okay too.” Mark murmured back. 

“Group hug?” someone shouted excitedly, and Lucas collided with them, arms spread wide, and nearly toppled them all over. 

The group split apart, laughing, or in Donghyuck's case, yelling at Lucas with no real fire behind it. 

_Yeah, the Dreamies would fit well here,_ Mark thought. Once they truly got comfortable. Because he didn’t miss the way the Dreamies were still hovering within a few paces of him, eyes flickering over protectively when his NCT members got close. 

_I’ll still watch over you all,_ he promised silently, watching them introduce themselves and find ways to subtly roast Taeyong and Johnny despite having met them only a day ago. _Well, Mark would expect nothing less, to be honest._

"Your members are cheaters.” Ten complained, appearing at his shoulder. “They cleaned me out of twenty dollars worth of candy.”

“You can’t prove anything.” Renjun sang, pulling out a candy bar from his seemingly endless supply- _how deep were his pockets?-_ and finishing it in two bites. He immediately unwrapped another and ate that too, and _oh, no wonder they were all so energetic right now._

Mark raised his eyebrows. “You guys cheat?” 

“Please Mark. How could you even ask that of us?” Donghyuck scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Of _course_ we did.”

He tossed Mark a candy bar- _Twix_ \- his favorite, and Mark grinned.

Ten gaped, and took off after Donghyuck, and the boy went running out the door and down the hall, yelling for Kun to save him. 

The hall descended into chaos as Ten chased after Donghyuck, phasing straight through the wall instead of winding his way over to the door. The Dreamies followed the two back towards the living area, trading a wide-eyed glances.

Mark couldn't hold back a chuckle. They'd get used to casual power usage pretty quickly, living here. The real miracle was that Ten had waited this long to reveal them.

He frowned as the living room came into view, speeding up his walk into a jog- and then a run- “Renjun, how did you even- _get out of the rafters!_ ”

The boy, of course, ignored him, too busy nailing NCT members with candy bars from twenty feet up, trying to give Mark a heart attack apparently. He hovered anxiously beneath, breath catching every time Renjun moved on the beam.

He heard a soft chuckle and found Taeyong standing next him, watching the chaos fondly.

"Don't know how you do it, hyung." Mark admitted, because he was going to get gray hairs worrying about the _six_ of them, how did Taeyong handle _fourteen_ \- well, _twenty_ , now. 

"Seems like you've done pretty well yourself." Taeyong nodded at the Dreamies. "They're good kids."

Ten finally caught up to Donghyuck when the younger boy tripped over an errant shoe, getting close enough to grab his sleeve, but then Lucas, out of nowhere, let out a war cry, launching himself from the arm of the couch into Ten's back and sending him stumbling. 

"RUN!" Lucas yelled, holding on like a koala while Ten tried to dislodge him.

Donghyuck heaved himself up into the kitchen counter and jumped upwards,catching the one of the rafter beams and pulling himself up as Mark watched in horror. _So that's how._ The teen hopped over to the beam that Renjun and Winwin were on- _when had Winwin even gotten up there?-_ and sat down, legs swinging back and forth. He stuck his tongue out at Ten, who stopped struggling and was glaring up at him, Lucas clinging happily to his back. Mark couldn't help but notice that Ten wasn't using his powers to escape, and that his anger melted quickly away when Chenle offered him a few candy bars from his own pocket. 

"They're troublemakers." Mark grumbled, but they both knew he didn't mean it. Mark couldn't help himself from glancing over at Taeyong, a little desperate, as he watched Donghyuck lean a little too far back and nearly fall. "So what's the secret hyung?" _To not worrying yourself to death over them?_

Taeyong just smiled at him, reaching over to rest a hand on his shoulder. "I think you already know."

And... maybe... maybe Mark did know, he thought, as he looked over the room, considered the way that Johnny and Yuta stood by Taeyong, advised him and challenged his ideas to make them better, the way that Kun and Ten kept a special eye on those that had joined alongside them, knowing all too well the hardships they'd been through together before NCT, the way that Donghyuck had stayed by Mark's side when he left, helped him navigate taking taking in five others when he had no idea what he was doing. 

"You can relax." Taeyong told him. "Yuta won't let them fall."

And Mark finally took in the way that Yuta, on the other side of the room, laughing with Jungwoo over something, was tracking the movements in the rafters with sharp eyes. He'd be able to catch them in a moment if he had to.

Mark took in the way that Jaehyun was introducing Jaemin to the members he hadn't met yet, Hendery and Xiaojun inviting the teen into conversation. Dongyoung, who had apparently already discovered Jeno's interest in cars, dragging him out the door to check out the garage. Kun giving Chenle a tour of the kitchen with Jisung tagging along behind, their eyes wide at the fact that the kitchen had three fridges. The protective glint that Taeyong already had in his eyes looking over their new young members.

_They were family now. NCT wouldn't let the Dreamies fall._

Mark let his tense shoulders drop, taking a slow breath. He looked to Taeyong, sobering as he felt a rush of gratefulness.

"Hyung... Thank you for letting them join. You didn't have to... but... you did. Thank you."

Taeyong just hummed, gaze fixed on the rest of the room. "Twenty one's a better number than sixteen, don't you think?"

And that made Mark pause, eyes drifting over the bustling living area.

 _Twenty-one_.

It just felt right.

Yeah, the Dreamies would fit well here.

Almost like they were always supposed to. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My heartfelt thanks to everyone who has tagged along on this journey!! Your comments bring me so much joy and encouragement! 
> 
> This actually originally started as a spin-off of an unpublished fic I'm currently writing, which features BTS, TXT, Stray Kids, GOT7, and NCT and I'm super excited to share it soon!!
> 
> I'm also planning on writing some more NCT-centric fics in this universe, like one that shows how the Dreamies met, as well as how NCT came together, and other stories about individual members!


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